Louise Norman in temporary charge at Racehorse Owners Association with chief executive Charlie Liverton signed off

Louise Norman has been put in temporary charge of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) with chief executive Charlie Liverton signed off work with a back problem.

It is not clear when Liverton will be able to return to work and resume duties from Norman, who is head of ownership experience at the owners' representative body.

ROA president Charlie Parker said: "Charlie was signed off on the Friday of Aintree so temporarily Louise is in charge."

Norman joined the ROA as part of its executive in January 2020 after 20 years working for Weatherbys where she worked primarily in the VAT services area before heading up the racing banking team as senior manager. 

Aside from his role as chief executive of the ROA, which he joined in 2016, Liverton is a member of the commercial committee, the body set up as part of British racing's reformed governance restructure and which is involved in the development of areas of the sport's industry strategy with a commercial focus.

He is also a member of the industry programme group, which deals with areas of strategy including horse welfare and industry people, and the racing committee, which has responsibility for matters relating to fixtures, race planning and handicapping. 

The leadership at the ROA has come under fire in the recent past, with discontented members having called for the resignation of Liverton and Parker amid criticism that the organisation was not representing owners' interests.

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