For this episode, we traveled to 'The valley of the racehorse', known as Lambourn. It's situated in southern England and is home to over 1500 racehorses and our podcast guest Josh Apiafi.
Josh is well known in the horse racing industry. He has over 30 extensive years of experience and has held a variety of roles. He is currently a presenter at Sky Sports Racing and has recently launched a new initiative; Racing Pathways.
He started as a stable lad for legendary Martin Pipe before becoming an amateur jumps jockey. He has been Head of Marketing and Director of Racing for an internet start-up now known as Betfair. Arriving at the company with 50 employees, over the six-year period it grew to a team of 1,500 people and a billion-pound valuation. He was chief executive at the Professional Jockey's Association before founding the award-winning rewards and loyalty program Rewards For Racing.
He has a passionate drive for equality, diversity, and inclusion within the racing industry. He launched a compelling documentary called 'The Uncomfortable Race' where he investigated what it's like being from an ethnic minority background working in racing.
The Racing Pathway is his latest initiative. Supported by the Racing Foundation it encompasses three collaborative pathways into our sport. Promoted across a more diverse audience it will ensure that racing is attractive to a future fanbase and a career path for Generation Z.
His drive for diversity and inclusion within the industry is fierce. His enthusiasm to encourage the younger generation to experience a wider range of career opportunities within the industry is infectious. I loved discussing a full range of topics with Josh and we hope you enjoy listening to one of our industry's great minds.