By Emma Berry
As Arqana's sales year begins Monday with the February Sale, a chapter in its ten-year history comes to an end with the departure of Managing Director Olivier Delloye, who is leaving the company to become Director General of France Galop. Delloye will return to Paris, which he left for Deauville on being appointed to the newly formed Arqana in July 2006, and, despite the anticipation of taking up one of the most influential roles in French racing, he leaves Normandy with a heavy heart.
“I can't believe it's my last sale, I'm a little sad,” he confesses. The personable Delloye has been a committed frontman for Arqana in its first decade in existence. The company rose from the merger of Agence Francaise with Goffs France and it was the former Agence Francaise head and mayor of Deauville, Philippe Augier, who first lured Delloye to the thoroughbred industry from his previous role with a major retailer in Paris.
He explains, “Philippe Augier was looking for someone with bloodstock knowledge and also experience outside the industry. So we met and very quickly he offered me the job, and that was the first big move I had to make in my personal life, leaving Paris and moving to Deauville.” The move came just as Agence Francaise ceased to exist. Delloye continues, “I didn't know that the people buying out Agence Francaise were from the other sales company in France – Goffs France. When I arrived for work on July 1, I was basically employed by people who didn't know me at all. They found me in the building and I realised that day that Philippe Augier had hired me and was about to leave.
In hindsight, arriving at Arqana's inception, and at the same time as the company's new President, Eric Hoyeau, would prove to be fortuitous. “Eric didn't know me and I didn't know him and it could have been uncomfortable but we got on well with each other from the very first day,” recalls Delloye. “The fact that we arrived at the same time and we both needed someone to rely on helped our friendship. “It has been a kind of honeymoon for ten years, I must say. There hasn't been a day of conflict – of course some days we had different views but we could always find a solution.” Delloye will be hoping for a similarly smooth passage in his far more political role at France Galop but he acknowledges that there are challenges to face, despite France's much-admired racing and breeding programme with its lucrative premiums for participants.
“One of the key challenges will be to make sure that this unique model can continue to exist and for that we need to create growth in the gambling market to ensure we have enough revenue to sustain it,” he says. “That's not only in the hands of France Galop but also our partners PMU.” He adds, “The other major task will be to really enhance the owners' experience to make it friendly and easier, especially for overseas owners. And a problem which is not unique to France is that we have to increase interest in the sport and once we have new fans, to encourage them to become owners and breeders. Hopefully the new Longchamp will be one of the pillars of this new strategy.”
By the end of this month, Delloye will be firmly ensconced in his new role in Paris but not before he bids a reluctant farewell to his friends and colleagues at Arqana. He reflects, “The one thing that will remain in my mind when I'm gone will be the people. The whole team has been a pleasure to work with, and I'm also speaking about the share-holders. They had faith in us and the team and enabled us to make some big investments and take some risks sometimes. I will of course miss out clients too – I've met many great people in my time here. From a personal point of view it's a bit like leaving my family – it's quite emotional.”
He concludes, “I'm happy though to leave at a time when we have built something very strong. The company has grown significantly over the last ten years and the turnover has doubled. We have very loyal clients and the improvements to the sales complex have brought enormous value to the company. We have a confident and talented team and I'm leaving Arqana in good hands.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
