Clean-out at racing board

Just months after losing a long-running defamation battle in the High Court, the NZ Racing Board has had a major management clean-out, with the appointment of four executives.

Chief executive Chris Bayliss, who has been in the job since August, says the new appointments are the result of "a clear need for change".

"The industry is facing a number of significant challenges and opportunities that make it vital we have a leadership group comprising different skills, experiences and approaches," he says.

Stewart McRobie, who replaces Stuart Robb, will be the board's new chief financial officer after a six-year stint as CFO at ASB.

Monique Cairns, formerly with Barclays, ANZ, Telecom, BNZ and GE Capital, is the new general manager of strategy, marketing and corporate affairs.

Colin Philp, head of client delivery for Gen-i in Sydney, has been appointed chief information officer, and Shameel Sahib is head of strategy after having senior roles with SkyCity, Air New Zealand and BNZ.

In July, the board was found guilty of defamation against First Sovereign Trust.

The trust's chief executive, Kerry Bird, was awarded $20,000 in damages.

The suit was sparked by an article in the NBR in November 2010 about pub pokie fraud.

The board issued a response, which the trust believed made them out "to be fraudsters".

Mr Bayliss says the management shakeup has nothing to do with the defamation case and does not signify a crisis. 

"It's a structured re-evaluation of how I want the organisation organised, and the type of people who have the requisite skills to really drive growth."

Former racing board chairman Michael Stiassny stepped down in July after being brought in to clean up its tarnished image in December 2006.

He was replaced by Dr Alan Jackson.