The Repco Supercars Championship has appointed current Chief Operating Officer, Shane Howard, as its next Chief Executive Officer.

Howard brings a wealth of experience to the role having spent time working in Supercars’ business development, operations, marketing and live entertainment sections, as well as successfully guiding the championship through multiple leadership changes.

In addition to his time with Supercars, which began in 1997 as part of the Bathurst 1000, Howard was a founding member of the Supercars’ Commission, originally chaired by Mark Skaife in 2011 and was key in helping Tony Cochrane develop marquee street circuit events.

“This is an amazing opportunity and I’m very proud to be moving into the Chief Executive role at an organisation I have been a part of for more than 20 years,” Howard said.

“Over that time, I have worked with some of the most incredible minds in sport and entertainment who have helped us grow the organisation to where it is today – one of Australia’s most popular sports.

“The fans have always been at the heart of what we do. Our goal is to move forward and continue to innovate and expand our events as well as our footprint in media and the digital landscape.

“I share the passion of our staff, teams, sponsors and key stakeholders who want to see the sport continue to grow.

“I am excited about our future under the new ownership group and have full confidence in our management team that is experienced in delivering world-class events for one of the top touring car categories in the world.

“It is an honour to be taking on this role as Supercars’ Chief Executive.”

Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca congratulated Shane on being appointed as the new Supercars CEO.

“On behalf of everyone at Motorsport Australia, I want to congratulate Shane on his appointment,” Arocca said.

“We have always enjoyed a great working relationship with Shane over the years and I look forward to continuing to work with him and the team at Supercars.”

Howard officially begins his CEO term from 1 February, with his first event to be the Repco Supercars Championship season opener in Newcastle on 4-6 March.