Keene has spent the past four years as sales and events manager at Wodonga & District Turf Club and will start at the MTC on February 13.

The Henty product spent five years in Wagga studying at Charles Sturt University.

A keen racing man, Keene said it was an honour to accept the chief executive position at Wagga.

“I’m extremely excited and quite honoured,” he said.

Keene, 38, will become MTC’s third chief executive since 2000, replacing Scott Sanbrook, who finishes up after seven years on March 1.

Keene jumped at the opportunity when it presented.

“It has been my goal, it is the next logical step in my career and it’s something I’d been hoping to do for a little bit,” he said.

“To start out, I’ll settle in and see how everything works before I look to put my fresh take on things.”

Keene has been an integral figure in the Wodonga club’s growth and will use CEO Tom O’Connor as a ‘sounding board’.