Leadership Team
Mike Anderson
President, Churchill Downs Racetrack
Mike Anderson
President, Churchill Downs Racetrack
Michael “Mike” W. Anderson was named the 14th president of Churchill Downs Racetrack on December 22, 2020. He brings to the role 24 years of experience at Churchill Downs Incorporated, most recently serving as Vice President of Operations, where he led the planning, construction and opening of over $300 million in capital projects across the company’s properties. For 15 years, he acted as Vice President and Treasurer of corporate finance, investor relations and risk management after joining the company in 1996 as a controller. Prior to joining the team at CDI, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, where he gained SEC reporting and M&A experience. He holds a degree in accounting from the University of Kentucky and was named to Louisville Business First’s “Forty Under Forty” in 2007. He is an active member of the community and is significantly involved with the University of Kentucky Alumni Association of Greater Louisville.
Katherine Armstrong
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Katherine Armstrong
Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Katherine Armstrong joined the team at Churchill Downs Incorporated in 2021 as the Vice President of Culture, a role in which she was responsible for developing a strategic vision to advance culture as part of the company’s core mission and values. She was promoted to Senior Vice President of Human Resources in 2022. In addition to her HR responsibilities, she continues to direct CDI’s internal culture strategy. Prior to her career at CDI, she was the Founder and President of Success Track LLC, a strategic HR consulting firm with an emphasis on HR operations, culture transformation, DE&I strategy and leadership coaching. She previously held senior leadership roles in HR across companies in the gaming and hospitality industries. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Jackson State University.
Ryan Jordan
Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development
Ryan Jordan
Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development
Ryan Jordan joined Churchill Downs Incorporated in 2009 as Vice President of Operations for Churchill Downs Entertainment Group and was later named General Manager of Churchill Downs Racetrack. In 2022, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development where his responsibilities include strategic planning at existing properties as well as the leadership of design and construction for new properties across the company. Throughout his career with the company he has successfully and consistently executed complex large-scale projects with a focus on operations, hospitality and entertainment. Prior to joining CDI, he worked for the PGA of America as the Championship Director of the PGA Championship. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in business management from North Carolina State University and an MBA from the University of Louisville.
Benjamin Murr
Senior Vice President & President, TwinSpires and Online Gaming
Benjamin Murr
Senior Vice President & President of TwinSpires and Online Gaming
Benjamin “Ben” Murr has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry and has been the President of TwinSpires and Online Gaming for Churchill Downs Incorporated since 2022. He joined CDI in March 2008 as Vice President and Chief Information Officer. As the Chief Information Officer, he was responsible for all of the IT systems within the company. This includes providing services for various properties including Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, Calder Casino in Miami, Florida, and Fairgrounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. In June 2010, CDI acquired United Tote Gaming Services and soon thereafter, he was appointed President of the new division. He served in this role until 2012, when he moved into the role of Chief Technology Officer where he successfully oversaw the build-out of multiple new gaming facilities, hotels and racetracks. Prior to joining CDI, he worked in information technology leadership roles at General Electric. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration from Bellarmine University.
Patrick Neely
Senior Vice President of Government Relations
Patrick Neely
Senior Vice President of Government Relations
Patrick Neely has over 25 years of professional experience in law, advocacy and business development, most recently serving as President of CDI’s Exacta business unit. He has held numerous local and national political leadership positions and served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP). In this role, he is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the Company’s political and legislative strategies. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Louisville and a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law.
Justin Paul
Senior Vice President of Operations
Justin Paul
Senior Vice President of Operations
Justin Paul has over 21 years of professional experience ranging from legal work, engineering, management and business operations. As Senior Vice President of Operations, he works with business units across the U.S. and various business partners to further the overall growth of Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”). He joined CDI as Sr. Director of Legal Affairs in May 2015 and was promoted in April 2017 to VP and Associate General Counsel. In January 2021, he was promoted to Vice President of Operations. Prior to CDI, he spent approximately 2 years with Mayer Brown LLP and 4 years with McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd., both law firms located in Chicago, Illinois. He also has 7 years of Engineering and Management experience with Abbott Labs, Monsanto and Abraxis Bioscience. He holds a BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Iowa and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School.
Jason Sauer
Senior Vice President of Corporate Development
Jason Sauer
Senior Vice President of Corporate Development
Jason Sauer has over 16 years of experience in corporate development, strategy and transactions. He joined CDI in 2014 and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Development in 2021. In this role, he partners with other members of CDI senior management in the development and execution of the company’s strategy and growth initiatives. During his time at CDI, he has worked on over $6 billion in mergers and acquisitions transactions and over $2 billion in new racing, gaming and historical horse racing projects, including developments in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia. He graduated with honors from Harvard College and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law. He holds additional graduate degrees from the University of Kentucky and the University of Cambridge.
Nate Simon
Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer
Nate Simon
Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer
Nate Simon has 20 years of technology and organizational leadership experience. He joined Churchill Downs Incorporated in 2011 as Vice President of Operations for the Company’s United Tote division before his promotion to President of United Tote in 2012. During that time, he was accountable for over 200 employees across the United States and Canada and over $25 million in global revenue. He was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer in 2022. He is responsible for providing strategic technology leadership and services. Prior to joining CDI, he was the Global Head of IT Operations for Clariant. He started his career with General Electric Company where he completed the GE Information Management Leadership Program and worked as an Enterprise Resource Planning Project Leader. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Indiana University.