The Star Gold Coast CEO Jessica Mellor’s parting words to staff after shock resignation

The Star Gold Coast’s trailblazing first female CEO has reached out to staff after her shock exit from the giant operator. Read what she said

Departing Star Gold Coast CEO Jess Mellor plans to stay in the city after “a wild ride” at the under fire casino operator, she’s told staff in an emotional email.

The Star Entertainment Group Limited announced on Thursday Ms Mellor has tendered her resignation to the Board of The Star effective from 24 May 2024.

Ian Brown, General Manager Gaming at The Star Gold Coast will be acting CEO until a permanent replacement is found.

Ms Mellor will stay on until September.

In a note to staff Friday morning, Ms Mellor punctuated her words with a broken heart emoji, adding that she had “a humungous amount of pride” in her team and a “deep love for this business”.

Jessica Mellor, CEO of The Star Gold Coast. Picture: Jerad Williams

“After five years, four World Poker Tours, three enquiries, two Logie Awards and one global pandemic, I’ve decided I’ve earned a big, long rest, so I’m stepping down from my role as CEO Gold Coast,” she wrote.

“The Star Gold Coast is an incredible place. We’ve collectively put our hearts and souls into it since the day one, and I know that I will always feel a strong connection.

“It is of course not the building that makes it special, but all of you – your pride, your effort, your commitment, and sometimes your weirdness. I love it all!

“I know it might be a shock, so I’m willing to put my ‘no hugs policy’ to one side if it will make anyone feel better!

“I know that no matter what happens next, you will continue to be the best you can be, and that will be what delivers this company’s transformation.”

Ms Mellor said she planned to “stay on the Goldy, spray weeds, pat my horses and assist my husband to renovate our house until I get bored (or he fires me)”.

“I hope to catch up with as many of you as possible in person over the next few weeks before I go,” she said.

Ms Mellor was The Star Gold Coast’s youngest and first female CEO, appointed to the position in October 2023, having led the property in the role of chief operating officer since 2019.

The Star Gold Coast CEO Jess Mellor has resigned. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Her exit comes after a string of recent departures including new group CEO Robbie Cooke, who had only started 18 months ago to rebuild the company after damaging inquiries into the casino operation in NSW and Queensland both deemed Star unfit to hold casino licences.

The company has copped copped heavy flak during a new hearing in NSW to decide whether it has made enough cultural change since the inquiries to keep its casino licence.

Former executives have unleashed on leadership troubles and a volley of gaffes, including a cash machine fault which saw gleeful punters withdraw $3.2m over 13 days at the Star Sydney. The Star called police on the customers and had them charged.

The hearing revealed Star had planned to misrepresent the loss in February’s half-year results, and had falsified mandatory welfare checks on poker machine players.

Adam Bell, SC, was forced to adjourn the hearing on Wednesday after Star presented a pile of new documents, two weeks after its deadline for producing them.

Former Star Entertainment Managing Director CEO Robbie Cooke. Picture: David Clark

Meanwhile, pokies billionaire Bruce Mathieson and his family are edging closer to the 10 per cent shareholding limit, scooping up more shares as the price continued to fall.

The Mathieson holding was at 9.6 per cent this week. It’s understood the family companies, now overseen by Bruce Mathieson Jr, have applied for approval to exceed the 10 per cent ownership cap.

Mr Mathieson did not give an opinion on Star’s likelihood of retaining its licence.

“As I always say to people, there’s nothing wrong with the company, just the people who are running it,” he said.

Mr Mathiseon’s son Bruce Mathieson Jr, who has taken control of the family companies as his father battles blood and bone cancers, could not be contacted.

Pokies baron Bruce Mathieson.

During her term as chief operating officer and CEO of Star’s Broadbeach island site, Ms Mellor was instrumental in developing The Star Gold Coast as an iconic Gold Coast tourism and entertainment precinct, including the development of the $2 billion masterplan part of a joint venture consortium.

Executive Chair David Foster thanked Ms Mellor for her dedication as CEO of The Star Gold Coast: “Jessica has led The Star Gold Coast through some challenging times including through Covid and has been instrumental in developing the Gold Coast property into an iconic world class integrated destination resort with our joint venture partners.”

“Jessica has decided the time is right to move on and she leaves with both the Board’s and my personal thanks, for her tireless efforts as CEO of The Star Gold Coast.”

A search for a new CEO of The Star Gold Coast has commenced.

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Originally published as The Star Gold Coast CEO Jessica Mellor’s parting words to staff after shock resignation