Crown names new executives as gaming regulations are tightened

Casino operator Crown Resorts has unveiled its new list of executives as it moves to invest big in new non-gaming attractions.

Crown Resorts is rebuilding its executive team as it pivots from a concentration on gaming.

Crown Resorts has appointed a number of new executives as it moves to become less “casino-centric” amid tighter regulation of gaming operations.

The Melbourne-based group announced on Tuesday that former Crown Perth chief executive David Tsai had been promoted to the new role of president and group chief operating officer, while Las Vegas veteran Stanford Le would replace Mark McWhinnie, who came out of retirement to lead the remediation effort as CEO of Crown Sydney.

Mr Le has extensive global integrated resort experience, including stints with Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and Caesars ­Entertainment

Brian Pereira, currently CFO of Crown Perth, will become interim CEO of that property. It is expected Mr Tsai’s group role will allow him to support Crown Resorts CEO Ciaran Carruthers as the company prepares to invest hundreds of millions of dollars on new non-casino attractions, including bars and restaurants.

In other appointments, former ExxonMobil executive Gemma Allman will lead the group’s government affairs team, Nicole Pelchen will join as chief technology officer, and Louise Tebbutt starts as chief people and culture officer.

Mr Carruthers said the appointments came at an important time of transformation for the business. “I would like to thank Mark McWhinnie for his significant efforts leading our extensive reform and remediation program in Sydney over the past three years, which culminated in the regulator finding Crown suitable to operate in NSW,” Mr Carruthers said.

Mark McWhinnie came out of retirement to lead the remediation as CEO of Crown Sydney.

“Mark’s leadership has been instrumental in evolving our business.”

Earlier this year, Crown Resorts named former Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti as chairman as it moved to beef up its local leadership team.

Mr Borghetti’s appointment follows US-based William McBeath’s decision to step back as chairman after overseeing Crown’s remediation efforts and reforms since July 2022.

It is expected Mr Borghetti’s extensive experience with regulators and government will help Crown navigate closer scrutiny of the gaming sector following widespread finding of money laundering and other misdeeds. Victorian regulators ruled in March that Crown would be ­allowed to retain its Melbourne casino licence, but was on notice that the public expected it to be “run honestly and free of criminal influence”.

The following month the NSW Independent Casino Commission found Crown Sydney suitable to retain its full operating licence after almost three years of remediation. US-based private equity giant Blackstone purchased Crown Resorts for $8.9bn in 2022.

Mr Carruthers told The Australian last month that the company had lagged international trends in the gaming industry that stressed resort-style attractions over gambling. In August last year, Crown Sydney moved away from high rollers and reopened its previously closed gaming floor and luxury Mahogany lounge to everyone.

Mr Le is currently president and CEO of Snoqualmie Casino group based in Seattle. Mr McWhinnie will remain with the business until Mr Le starts in Sydney in the coming months.

Originally published as Crown names new executives as gaming regulations are tightened