The Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced the appointment of seasoned legal counsel James Bidlake as its new Executive Director, Legal and Compliance (EDLC), effect 24 February 2025.
Bidlake, who will become a member of the Board of Management and report directly to the Club’s CEO, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, succeeds current EDLC Shella Ng, who has decided to leave on 5 May 2025 after completing her contract.
As EDLC, Bidlake will lead the Legal and Compliance Division with responsibility for the legal and compliance activities of the Club and its subsidiaries, and for helping to protect the Club’s rights, brand and reputation, it said, He will also act as Company Secretary.
According to information from the Club, Bidlake boasts more than 25 years of legal and regulatory compliance experience in Asia and most recently served as Group General Counsel and Executive Vice President for DFS Group, responsible for managing the legal and compliance risk across the global business.
He has also held legal leadership positions at Morgan Stanley and worked at Citigroup Investment Banking Division in Hong Kong and Simmons & Simmons in London and Hong Kong.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree from the UK’s Exeter University and has completed the Common Professional Examination (CPE) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) from The University of Law, UK.