Pharmacist Darragh O'Loughlin to succeed Denis Egan as IHRB chief executive

Darragh O'Loughlin will succeed Denis Egan as chief executive of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), with the former secretary general of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) set to commence his new role on June 29.

Egan stepped down after 20 years as CEO last September after availing himself of an early retirement scheme and Cliodhna Guy, the IHRB's head of licensing, legal and compliance, has been serving as interim CEO since then.

O'Loughlin was secretary general of the IPU from 2013 until April. He has also served as a council member of the pharmacy regulator PSI for a six-year period and two years as a board member of the Health Information and Quality Authority.

O'Loughlin is a pharmacist by profession and has held a number of senior executive and non-executive roles at a domestic and European level.

He said: "I am honoured to have been appointed to this vital role for horseracing and look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

"Ireland is at the forefront of global horseracing and has an enviable reputation thanks to the great work of all stakeholders, including the excellent team at the IHRB, who have been acknowledged as best in class at what they do. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to ensure Irish horseracing and its reputation continue to thrive over the coming years."

Denis Egan: stepped down as IHRB after 20 years last SeptemberCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Martin O’Donnell, chairman of the IHRB, said: "Darragh brings an exceptional combination of regulatory expertise and long experience in sectoral development and advocacy as well as stakeholder engagement at the highest level in Ireland and the EU.

"He combines proven strategic, organisational and people leadership with impressive regulatory credentials and extensive stakeholder engagement experience. We look forward to him leading the IHRB and our top-class committed team as we enter our next strategic planning phase.

"This will guide the organisation’s priorities in addressing the evolving needs of Irish horseracing and ensuring the continued positive reputation of the sport and ongoing confidence for all stakeholders."

Read more on the IHRB:

Audit into IHRB anti-doping systems recommends extra focus on high-profile yards

IHRB rejects claim of not acting on information relating to doping

For all our exclusive free bet offers and must-have daily promotions click the free bets button or go to racingpost.com/freebets