Supercars have appointed chief operating officer, Shane Howard, as the competition’s new CEO, following the departure of Sean Seamer as chief executive.

Howard, who has spent almost 20 years within the management team of Supercars, was chosen from an executive search across sport leaders from across Australia and internationally.

Following his extensive career as an executive in Supercars, in which he spent time heading up Supercars Events, Howard was named a founding member of the Supercars’ Commission, originally chaired by Mark Skaife, in 2011.

On his new position, Howard said: “This is an amazing opportunity and I’m very proud to be moving into the chief executive role at an organisation I have been a part of for more than 20 years.”

“Over that time, I have worked with some of the most incredible minds in sport and entertainment who have helped us grow the organisation to where it is today – one of Australia’s most popular sports.

“The fans have always been at the heart of what we do.

“Our goal is to move forward and continue to innovate and expand our events as well as our footprint in media and the digital landscape.

“I share the passion of our staff, teams, sponsors and key stakeholders who want to see the sport continue to grow.

“I am excited about our future under the new ownership group and have full confidence in our management team that is experienced in delivering world-class events for one of the top touring car categories in the world.

“It is an honour to be taking on this role as Supercars chief executive,” Howard said.

With the departure of Seamer, Howard will begin as the organisation’s new CEO on 1 February, before the opening round of the 2022 Supercars Championship on 4-6 March.

Supercars chairman, Barclay Nettlefold, said: “As an incredibly talented businessman, Shane [Howard] brings many great qualities and experience to the leadership role within the organisation.

“He is well credentialed and enjoys support from a wide cross section of business and community leaders as the right person for the role.

“Just as importantly, he has a deep understanding of the sport, the teams, our key stakeholders and fans.

“With Gen3 hitting the track in 2023 and international borders beginning to reopen, he has a clear strategic vision for the future of Supercars which the new ownership group fully supports.

“He is an outstanding leader with a proven track record in guiding Supercars’ operations.

“He is genuinely passionate about Supercars and we are very pleased to appoint him into the chief executive role,” he said.