Edited press release
The Equibase Management Committee has appointed Hank Zeitlin president and chief operating officer of Equibase Co., succeeding Philip O’Hara Jr., who has resigned to pursue other opportunities in the Thoroughbred industry.
The announcement was made April 2 by Alan Marzelli, chairman and chief executive officer of Equibase, following an Equibase Management Committee board meeting.
“We are grateful for Phil’s contributions to the success of Equibase over the past three years and we will miss him on both a personal and professional level,” Marzelli said. “At the same time, few people know the history, the mission, or the day-to-day operations of Equibase like Hank Zeitlin. The management committee is confident that he and his staff will continue to develop and execute business plans and initiatives that will enhance both the Thoroughbred industry and Equibase in the years ahead.”
O’Hara served in a variety of executive management positions in the industry before joining Equibase in April 2004. He plans to develop a private enterprise in the Thoroughbred racing industry.
“It has been a privilege to serve the Equibase partnership and work with the dedicated professionals associated with the company,” O’Hara said. “I’m very proud of our accomplishments over the past three years and expect Hank and his team to continue to deliver great results going forward.”
Zeitlin, who received a bachelor’s degree in business and MBA in marketing from the State University of New York at Albany, joined Equibase as vice president of marketing and sales in January 1998, following three years as chief executive officer of the Hammond Communications Group. He was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Equibase in January 2003.
In other news, the management committee announced that, for the first time in the history of the partnership that includes racetracks, a regularly scheduled dividend of $1 million had been approved and would be distributed.
“I don’t think anybody who was part of Equibase at the outset envisioned that it would enjoy the financial success that it does today,” Marzelli said. “The Equibase story serves as a constant reminder to the industry that we are capable of achieving success when we work together toward a common goal.”
