Big names, events and entertainment set for Flemington under new Victoria Racing Club CEO Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers has a resume anyone would envy — and now she’s joined the team at Flemington, revealing major plans to revive the races in a move her late husband would be “terribly proud” to see.
Lifestyle
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Kylie Rogers is starting to feel like herself again.
Six weeks into a new job — a dream job as the first female chief executive of the Victoria Racing Club — the mum of three is tackling every day with renewed energy.
It was only in April that she was mourning the loss of her beloved husband Andrew to cancer.
The couple parented three boys, Ned (year 12), Albie (year 10) and Ollie (year 6), and she explains that the lingering toll of grief is heavy.
“I was working for a good six weeks leading into him passing and then it was probably another month before I actually returned to work,” she says.
“To be honest with you, it’s all a bit blurry.
“I took the guidance from my children on what felt right and they were very keen to return to school and normality. After about three weeks I felt like I needed that normality and to return to work.
“I’m starting to recognise myself again. Grief is a really, really tough thing to endure and deal with. And you feel like an alien in your own body and so I am definitely starting to recognise myself again. And have the energy that I am used to having.
“The deep fatigue that comes with grief is something you don’t understand until you experience it. And that is certainly lifting and I am returning to the energiser bunny that I am used to and that feels good.”
Rogers had been on the AFL executive for eight years as head of commercial and describes the people there as “literally my family”. She has enormous gratitude for the support she received, particularly from former chief executive and now Tabcorp boss Gillon McLachlan.
She said the role at the VRC was meant to be, with Andrew’s memory vividly in her mind.
“It was just after a really sad time in my life, losing Andrew,’’ she says.
“So it was complicated and confusing talking about a new career for me, but as I had those conversations they started to feel right and real and I was ready to lead an organisation. And I was excited about the board I was going to work with, a board that has deep racing knowledge, great business expertise and it felt right.
“He (Andrew) was a big part of why I took the role. He was a VRC member his whole life, he loved his racing and he worked 10 years at Sky Channel at Tabcorp. And the opportunity didn’t come up until he passed so he didn’t know about it but he would have been terribly proud of me getting it. And enjoying what I’m enjoying so far in this role.
“He was a wonderful man, he loved his sport, he loved his footy.
“The grand final was a tough day. My oldest son was my date; I wanted the Swans to win because they needed something good to happen to them this year, but that’s footy.”
Rogers, 48, knows nothing but busy – she worked for 17 years at Network 10 and was managing director of Australia’s largest women’s digital network Mamamia, founded by Mia Freedman.
She feels “she’s never worked a day in her life” after loving her time at each organisation and says she never felt any barriers as a woman, particularly at the AFL.
“From day one I felt included and respected. Not once did I feel there was a barrier being a female, genuinely,” she says.
“I remember an exec saying to me on my first week at the AFL, ‘just give yourself at least a season before you can really start to make sense of this place’. I thought to myself, ‘a season, I’ll have this sorted in three months’.
“But they were absolutely right. You need to see the rhythm and see it with your own eyes. I certainly started to feel more confident after my first season and then Covid hit but it was incredibly rewarding to get through those few years and my learning curve skyrocketed again.
“Through ’22, ’23, ’24 I picked up Marvel Stadium and picked up a few other responsibilities and loved what I was doing.”
Rogers was instrumental in raising the bar for grand final entertainment after securing Robbie Williams for 2022 after a chance meeting with the UK superstar.
She wants to bring that celebrity and big name flavour to Flemington.
Over her first three weeks in the role she spent time meeting with all key stakeholders – government, Racing Victoria, all the key associations, breeders, bookies, trainers, owners and more.
One person she has yet to meet is outspoken Racing NSW chief Peter V’landys, but she knows that time will come. Energised is a word that again springs to mind.
“I wouldn’t say any of it is challenges – it’s all opportunity,’’ Rogers says.
“With any key stakeholder group there is conflicting agendas and conflicting requirements and it’s just managing them through. Broadly I’m really buoyed by the passion and characters I’m meeting and I’m really enjoying it and feel I can contribute.
“The exciting thing for me is the opportunity to re-energise our sport. And when I say re-energise, I mean open it up for more to enjoy.
“That is, how do we continue to deliver spectacular race days on our 21 race days. The best horses, the best jockeys, the safest procedures and set up, a world-class facility in the racetrack at Flemington and then welcoming more patrons to our park.
“On top of race day and that includes of course the spring carnival, the Melbourne Cup Carnival, we’re looking at how we can turn Flemington into an entertainment and events precinct. We will be welcoming 350,000 patrons to the park and that’s just for music festivals and concerts in the next four months.
“And so what is that strategy: where can we do more in that area and engage the community. There’s a lot of similarities to my job at Marvel Stadium and driving 365 day a year content at Marvel, whether that was inside the arena, around the concourse, in rooms, it was how to drive multipurpose content to attract more people and that’s exactly what we want to do here.
“Then of course for the Carnival, it’s delivering spectacular experiences for everyone who comes. Be that Victorians, interstaters or internationals. We attract around 65,000 internationals and interstate patrons to our park over the four days, there’s a real opportunity to grow that. We already have some key international alliances with international jockey clubs and we’re going to grow those and look for strategic opportunities to enhance our global reputation and our global brand.”
Rogers’ focus is on attracting youth and she knows what they want. First hand she sees it with her two eldest sons becoming big racing fans. She is a long-time horse lover herself, having grown up three blocks from the Donvale equestrian centre, where she first learned to ride, and her family having horses on their farm on Lake Eildon, near Mansfield.
“We have a potential audience of 750 million on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, it is the race that stops a nation and it is in psyche of Australians and it’s also getting more and more appeal globally,’’ she says.
“It warrants a big international act, supported by great Australian talent, but I am looking for that big youthful act moving forward. We’ve got some exciting names we will be able to announce. Celebrities will play a role in our offering this year.
“It’s really important for us to engage the youth and 30 per cent of our patrons on Stakes Day are under 30 and 20 per cent across the four days are under 30.
“We’ve got a real opportunity with the youth and I’m pretty buoyed by the stats around female patrons. We’re broadly 50/50 in attendance and membership, but there’s always more to do there.
“We really deliver a platform that allows passion points to be intersected. Sport, our racing, fashion, music, and food and bev. And so how do we broaden our audience and get people to love and engage with our precinct and our sport through those passion points.”
Rogers welcomes the looming craziness of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, which will coincide with her son’s year 12 exams.
But with the support of her family, friends, neighbours and household manager, she will rise to the occasion and thrive with renewed energy.
“I’ve got a year 12’er which is challenging at the best of times,” she says.
“The priority is to get him through his exams. I’ve got to work with my team to deliver the greatest and safest Carnival ever this year and I’ve got to get Ned through his exams. But I have an unbelievable community around me and I lean on them.
“I had a girlfriend pick Ned up every morning to take him to practice exams last week.
“I have a terrific household manager, I have unbelievable family and work colleagues and neighbours. Neil (Wilson) and the board were very supportive and it’ll be a juggle for a period and they’re very patient and supportive.
“The diary looks different but it’s certainly busy and I’m enjoying it.”
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