Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges GBS JP
Chief Executive Officer

Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges joined The Hong Kong Jockey Club in 1998 and has been its Chief Executive Officer since February 2007. Under his leadership the Club has undergone significant transformation, becoming one of the world’s leading racing organisations, while its Charities Trust is now one of the world’s top ten charity donors. 

Internationally, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges is Chair of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the world's highest thoroughbred racing authority, and Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), which comprises 28 national racing authorities and racing-related organisations from across Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East. Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges is also President of the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) founded by the IFHA and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). In 2015, he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the government of France, and in 2024 he was awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the government of Japan.

In Hong Kong, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges is Chairman of the Hong Kong Management Association, where he is Professor of Practice at its Institute of Advanced Management Development. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Chest. He holds an honorary doctorate in humanities from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges was a member of the Board of the Equestrian Events (Hong Kong) of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Co Ltd, the company charged with managing the operations of the 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2009 and was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2016.

Prior to joining the Club, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges spent six years as Executive Vice President and ten years as a Board Member of the German Racing and Breeding Authority (Direktorium für Vollblutzucht und Rennen), the governing body of German horse racing and breeding, whose members include the representatives of racecourses, the Trainers and Jockeys Association and the German Breeders and Owners Association. During this period he also developed and managed the Authority’s commercial activities, including its tote, telebetting, TV production, marketing and sponsorship. Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges also served as President of Neusser Race Club and was a Board Member of the Union Klub.

A graduate from the University of Cologne, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges has had a lifelong passion for horseracing and breeding thoroughbreds. He is also an avid football fan, and played football professionally in Germany before graduation.

Last update: Jul 2024