Bloomberry names Gregory Francis Hawkins as acting chief operating officer
Hawkins previously worked as chief executive officer of Crown Melbourne and general manager at SkyCity.
The Philippines.- The board of directors of Bloomberry Resorts has announced that Gregory Francis Hawkins has been named acting chief operating officer. Hawkins formerly served as chief casino officer for Star Entertainment, where he managed the group’s multi-site gaming strategy. He has also worked as chief executive officer of Crown Melbourne and general manager at SkyCity in New Zealand.
Other roles have included a tenure as president of Melco’s City of Dreams on the Cotai Strip in Macau and as chief executive officer at boutique hotel-casino Altira. At both Macau properties, he played a role in guiding them through pre-opening phases.
Bloomberry secures refinancing loan for Solaire Resort North
On February 13, Bloomberry signed a PHP40bn (US$688m) syndicated refinancing facility with a group of banks to refinance an existing PHP40bn term loan facility obtained in February 2019 towards the construction of Solaire Resort North. It’s the second refinancing exercise the company has completed in the last four months.
Bloomberry said the new agreement is similar to the PHP72bn (US$1.24bn) facility it obtained in October. The new loan term is 10 years, ending in February 2035. Borrowers will make larger payments in the last three years. The interest rate is 75 basis points lower than the previous loan, and borrowers can lock in this rate within the next 12 months. According to the company, the terms will reduce debt payments in the coming years and allow Bloomberry to benefit from anticipated interest rate cuts.
The group of lenders comprises BDO Unibank, Inc., Bank of Commerce, Bank of the Philippine Islands, China Banking Corporation, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Philippine National Bank, and Union Bank of the Philippines. BDO Capital & Investment Corporation served as lead arranger and sole bookrunner while BDO Unibank – Trust and Investments Group is the security trustee, facility agent, and paying agent.
