THE Bendigo Jockey Club (BJC) has started the search for its next chief executive after Rob Heinjus announced he would step down early in the new year.
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Heinjus, originally from South Australia, has been with the BJC for just over 12 months, and has cited family reasons for his departure.
He will leave on the best of terms with the club's committee and workforce, with club chairman Jack Lyons saying Heinjus would be sorely missed.
"Rob has had an enormous impact on the club. We are sad to see him go," Lyons said.
"We fully understand his reasons for wanting to go home.
"He has left the club in great shape."
Heinjus only recently became a father for the first time following the birth of his and wife Tiffany's daughter Grace.
He said a desire to be closer to his ill mother had factored heavily into the decision to return home.
"Once we had Grace, we probably decided it was time to put family first and to head back home," he said.
"We are sad to be going. I think we have made some good headway this year. I think the club is in good stead going forward.
"Unfortunately, they will need another chief to keep moving forward."
Heinjus, who joined the club with five years of racing experience as operations manager with the South Australian Jockey Club at Morphettville, followed by a stint as a senior executive for one of South Australia's largest care providers, said he would particularly miss the face-to-face contact with race day patrons, participants and members.
"I love being with people and working with communities, which will be hard to give up," he said.
"I think racing itself has some significant challenges and for race clubs like ours, and other regional clubs, it's not going to be an easy path for the next decade.
"But, hopefully, patrons come back and support. That's the biggest thing for clubs, we need bums on seats.
"Hopefully that continues. Bendigo Cup day was great and a couple of other days like Golden Mile are great, but midweek days are difficult and we have 15 of them.
"I see so much potential and I feel with some of the strategic work we have undertaken, we have set the club up well.
"I'm pretty proud of what's been done in a short period of time.
"I know I will be watching the future with interest."
I think we have made some good headway this year. I think the club is in good stead going forward
- Bendigo Jockey Club CEO Rob Heinjus
Heinjus succeeded locally-bred CEO Aaron Hearps, who resigned in June last year, after six years at the helm.
He was the third South Australian to be appointed CEO in the past 11 years, following on from Jason Paech and Ian Hart.
Heinjus will stay on until the end of February and is keen to help the new CEO transition into the role.
"The club has three race meetings in February, so it's really important for the new CEO that those days kick off and run well, and that our work in the lead up to the Golden Mile is done," he said.
The CEO position is currently being advertised and is expected to draw a strong field of applicants.
