Our People

HR Director

One of my great passions is helping people to progress upwards through the business. I am very lucky that in my position I am able to ensure this happens. The Board invest a significant sum into staff training and there are a number of ways that we achieve our aims. We go far beyond the minimum health and safety standards of training and offer a true development path for employees in every part of our business.

Firstly, we are an apprenticeship levy paying employer which means we put a lot of focus on using these funds throughout all the areas of our business; we have a number of apprentices now working in our grounds and estates teams, finance teams, as well as customer facing roles.

Secondly, we support staff with relevant qualifications through part-funding, full-funding and paid time off to study and take exams. This is particularly relevant to employees working on their accounting or HR qualifications as well as our Clerks of the Course. In the last 3 years I am delighted to say that we have fully funded the training and accreditation for six new Clerks who are working around the business.

I am so delighted to be a part of seeing people develop through their employment with us; long may it continue!

The People

Joanne Wilson

General Manager – Sunderland Greyhounds

I have worked within the greyhound racing industry all my adult life, starting as hospitality staff whilst studying for my A levels, my passion for Sunderland Greyhound Stadium has seen me develop my career and ARC have supported my journey and I am now the General Manager. The greyhound division of ARC is industry leading and it’s a very diverse and fast paced role which makes every day different, challenging and very rewarding.

David Leyden Dunbar

Director of Commercial Strategy and Partnerships

ARC offers an extremely fast moving working environment and the variety which each day brings is the part of the job I enjoy most. At Head Office we’re a small but incredibly dynamic team and we work collaboratively with all our colleagues on the racecourses to deliver the results that are expected. As part of this, my primary role is developing, implementing and taking full ownership of the group’s overarching commercial partnership strategy aimed at the delivery of our long term business objectives and working with the commercial teams at each course to exploit every one of our assets to its full potential.

Steven Riley

2nd Chef Sunderland Greyhound Stadium

I have worked at the stadium for 11 months and have found that there are benefits to be had for example passes to the other racecourses within the group and also discounts at hotels and golf clubs and even the pub at Newcastle race course offers discount to employees!

Rosie Taylor

Group Marketing Executive

My career at ARC began when I started working for Uttoxeter Racecourse as a 16-year-old, waitressing in the restaurant. Fast forward 6 years, I am now a Group Marketing Executive working across multiple racecourses within Arena Racing Company. My decision to go into Marketing was made when I undertook a degree apprenticeship in business management with the racecourse. Working whilst completing my degree allowed me to gain invaluable experience, giving me a head start once I was qualified. I am very thankful for all the opportunities to develop and grow into a role I love. Plus, the team around me are so supportive and a pleasure to work with.

Jayne Greenman

HR Director

I am so delighted to be a part of seeing people develop through their employment with us; long may it continue!

John Paul Jakes

Head Grounds

My role as head grounds person entails of working with a team of 4 keeping the site in top condition for the public and the horses.

I am also responsible for the setup of the track in the build up to a Raceday. This means putting the hurdles into the track, putting rail up and if needs be watering the race track.

My experience with ARC has been wonderful, I’ve been all around the country helping other ARC tracks and seeing different practises. The backing from ARC to put you on different courses to learn new practices is great.

Camilla Esling

I have been working for ARC for 6 years now and in that time have been supported at every step to progress in my career with various opportunities and the necessary support to achieve these. Most recently I have been promoted to General Manager of Hereford Racecourse which is an incredibly exciting opportunity. The support not only from your own team but also that of other courses and centrally means you always feel like you have someone to go to with questions, ideas or assistance. The racing industry can be fast paced and changeable, but you know that you are supported by ARC throughout this and it leads to a great teamwork ethic at every level.

Stella Brake

Business co-ordinator - Bath Racecourse

I joined ARC recently in June 2022 as a Business Coordinator and can honestly say, I’ve never looked back. ARC is an exciting and rewarding company to work for with no two days ever quite the same. Working alongside professionals, the training is very hands on and thorough you also get to experience other racecourse sites within the group each one unique and very different. Unique vibrant days at work, exciting racedays, entering the parade ring for winners’ cup presentations, best turned-out horses, hosting and speaking with hospitality box occupants create superb days seeing your hard work come to fruition. Spectacular memories of summer days, keep you warm through the winter with energised enthusiasm in readiness for the new season! There isn’t another role quite like it!

Chloe Davies

HR Apprentice

I joined ARC last year in September 2021 as a HR Apprentice. I am thoroughly enjoying working towards my HR Support Level 3 qualification with such a supportive organisation that have paid for my apprenticeship through a company levy. Joining the apprenticeship, I received an allocated allowance to fund for extra courses, webinars, workshops and books that will benefit you passing your assessments. My role consists of HR responsibilities as well as on the job learning where I am given a designated study day via my college provider. ARC have been very flexible with me when wanting to participate in webinars to have a more in-depth knowledge on work matters. Our company own 21 sites and me and my manager look after 10 for all HR matters, this gives me experience of traveling and visiting different sites and teams. The team I work with are professional and supportive when I am struggling with a particular task or project.

Rhys Irons

The Racing Partnership

Here at The Racing Partnership, we take live racing feeds from all the ARC horse and greyhound venues as well as South Africa, Australia, and other UK tracks. With this and live betting data, we distribute a specialised channel to British and Irish betting shops. We also deliver live British horse and greyhound racing to international clients.

I have been at ARC for over 6 years and joined TRP in its infancy in 2016. Starting as a Multi-skilled Operator, I have truly grown in confidence and have recently been promoted to a Technical Supervisor role, in which I am enjoying the newly found responsibility. Throughout my time here, I have got a lot of use out of the badges and tickets that are available for race days at various tracks that HR have been more than happy to accommodate me with.

At TRP we have some great comradery and the people here are great to work with, which makes working here, all the better.

Anthony Gledhill

General Manager, Wolverhampton Racecourse & Holiday Inn Hotel

I have been with Arena Racing Company for nearly eight years and started my career with them as Catering General Manager at Uttoxeter Racecourse. Throughout my years at Uttoxeter Racecourse I was able to also take on the responsibility of managing the operations and health & safety on site. As part of my additional responsibility ARC paid for me to train and qualify as a Safety Officer. Since becoming a Safety Officer I have supported the group at a variety of sites.

From Catering & Operations Manager at Uttoxeter Racecourse I became General Manager of Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium. This was a new site to ARC so required me to implement all standard operating practices and procedures that are used across all ARC estates. From being General Manager of a Greyhound Stadium gave me a great understanding of the sport and also gave me the opportunity to mentor another General Manager of another Greyhound Stadium.

Since Perry Barr I have been promoted to General Manager of Wolverhampton Racecourse. The career progression and support from ARC has been invaluable to my own personal development and has enabled me to grow within the group and I feel I am a valued knowledgeable member of the senior management team of ARC. Without the support and training then this would not have been achievable.

Michael Bloomer

Group Management Accountant, Head Office (Millbank)

ARC is a phenomenal company to work for, being within the Racing, Events & Hospitality industry is a great experience in itself, plus you have the best, supportive colleagues surrounding you. One of the great qualities of the business is how it drives to develop, whatever department you may be in. I have personally been given numerous opportunities to progress from first starting out as a Finance Assistant, developing through the ranks to a racecourse accountant, then to a Financial controller and finally achieving a Head Office position as the Group Management Accountant.

David Gath

Technical Project Manager

Here in the ARC Digital team we are busy transforming our entire digital estate, which is huge! We’re responsible for the design and technical development of all of our digital properties which includes individual websites for all of our racing venues plus a number of brand and subsidiary sites, around 30 websites in total. We also develop all of our own web management tools in-house to give our racecourse and business colleagues maximum flexibility in communicating their unique brands and customer offers.

We are a friendly and enthusiastic team with a real diversity of skills and experience. We work in an ‘Agile’ manner which enables us to be responsive and hugely flexible. There is a real ‘can-do’ attitude in the team and we always rise to the many challenges that come our way from around the business. We pride ourselves in embracing new technologies, digital trends and working practices so we are constantly evolving the way we work and how we do things. In addition to all of that we regularly get to watch afternoon racing from our office window, which looks directly out onto the finishing straight at Wolverhampton Racecourse!

Fun Wall

Arena Racing Company is a lively, fun, yet professional place to work. A range of activities is organised throughout the year, giving staff an opportunity to mix in a relaxed environment.