Star Entertainment’s staff exodus continues as deputy company secretary resigns

Troubled Star Entertainment has lost another executive as financial troubles blight the future prospects of the casino giant.

The Star casino at Queens Wharf in Brisbane.

Troubled Star Entertainment has lost another executive as financial troubles continue to blight the future prospects of the casino giant.

Star on Tuesday announced the exit of its deputy company secretary, Kate Williams.

Ms Williams was appointed additional company secretary in July but would not take up that position, Star said.

Jennie Yuen will continue as company secretary.

The company also has tapped former Lendlease senior executive Frank Krile as its new chief financial officer.

Mr Krile had been at Lendlease for 18 years, including as chief risk officer, until July. His time at Lendlease overlapped with Steve McCann, now Star chief executive, who spent 12 years at Lendlease until May 2021.

Mr Krile will begin at Star immediately with interim CFO Neale O’Connell to continue in his role until March 28 and assist in an orderly transition across the coming months.

Star announced last week that Mark Mackay had resigned as chief executive of The Star Gold Coast only three months after he joined the company.

Star tapped the former Crown Resorts executive in September as the embattled casino group attempted to rebuild its management team amid a continuing cash crunch.

Frank Krile

Mr Mac­kay, who was responsible for managing the operation and strategic direction of Crown Melbourne, had a previous stint as chief operating officer of The Star Gold Coast, then Jupiters Hotel and Casino.

He replaced Jessica Mellor, who resigned in May after six months in the job.

Earlier this month Star Entertainment cleared a major hurdle in its bid to keep afloat, confirming it had satisfied the conditions laid down to enable it to access the first $100m tranche of a rescue loan.

The company, which last month revealed a $27m loss before significant items in the first four months of the 2025 financial year, said the $100m drawdown from corporate lenders was expected to be received this month.

The accessing for the first tranche has cleared the way for the company to focus on meeting the more stringent conditions set for the second $100m tranche by April 9, 2025.

Star has been struggling with liquidity and viability issues amid its regulatory and management challenges after a tumultuous 12 months that put the group’s casino operations in doubt and generated a record share price plunge.

In October the NSW Independent Casino Commission allowed Star to keep its Sydney casino operating under government supervision for the time being and did not cancel its ­licence. 

That followed revelations at the Bell II inquiry that Star was continuing to fall short of the regulatory standards required of a casino operator.

Originally published as Star Entertainment’s staff exodus continues as deputy company secretary resigns