Nader returning to U.S. to head up Thoroughbred Owners of California
William Nader, a former executive for the New York Racing Association who has served two stints overseas at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will leave his current position at the HKJC in October and become the president and chief executive office of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the two organizations said on Tuesday.
Nader, 64, will fill a position at the TOC that has been open since the resignation of Greg Avioli earlier this year. The TOC represents Thoroughbred owners in negotiations with racetracks and it advocates on behalf of owners in the state.
“Given his experience both domestically and internationally, and the respect he commands across the Thoroughbred racing industry, we could not be more pleased to announce Bill Nader as our president and CEO,” said Gary Fenton, the chairman of the TOC, in a release.
“I look forward to working together with everyone at the TOC and all valued stakeholders within the industry to build a strong and sustainable future for California racing,” Nader said, also in the release.
Nader, who was the executive vice president at NYRA before joining the HKJC as its executive director of racing in 2007, has been employed by the HKJC on two separate occasions, from 2007 to 2016 and 2018 to the present day. During his most recent stint in Hong Kong, Nader was also the chairman of the Conghua training center, a massive training complex the HKJC opened on the Chinese mainland in 2018.
Nader returned to Hong Kong two years before the coronavirus pandemic led to massive disruptions across the globe. Hong Kong put in place some of the most aggressive measures in the world to prevent the spread of the virus.
Andrew Harding, the HKJC’s executive director of racing, said that Nader was “a wonderful team player who is committed to excellence.”
“He has contributed significantly to racing marketing and sponsorship activities, as well as promoting racing as a sport to both racing fans and the non-racing public,” Harding said, in a separate release issued by the HKJC. “It is a wonderful experience to have worked with Bill.”