Mark McWhinnie named CEO of Crown Sydney

Mark McWhinnie will replace Simon McGrath as CEO of the Sydney venue.

Australia.- Crown Resorts has announced that Mark McWhinnie will replace Simon McGrath as CEO of Crown Sydney. McGrath announced in August that he would step down from his role. He will depart at the end of this month.

McWhinnie’s most recent position was at Sands China, where he oversaw eight hotels, including the Venetian Macao. During his 13-year tenure, he also managed Sands Cotai Central, now The Londoner Macao, for two years.

While working at Sands China Ltd., McWhinnie achieved the prestigious LEED Silver certification for the architectural design and construction of The Parisian Macao, the first integrated resort in the region to achieve this goal.

Earlier in his career, McWhinnie held senior hotel management roles, including management and leadership roles, with Ishin Hotels Group in Japan and Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Australia, Asia and the Pacific.

Ciarán Carruthers, Crown Resorts CEO, said: “I’m delighted to have Mark on board to lead Crown Sydney. He is a global gaming and hospitality executive boasting an impressive track record founded on a strong culture and premium service. 

“Mark’s appointment adds to the deep industry experience at Crown and is further testament to our ability to attract strong talent to our business. 

“I’d like to take this opportunity to reiterate our thanks to Simon for his contribution to Crown, including overseeing the successful opening of Australia’s only VIP members-only casino in Sydney. We wish him all the best for the future.”

McWhinnie added: “Crown Sydney is a world-class integrated resort and Crown has a reputation across the industry for premium service delivered by a team of talented and dedicated people. I want to build on that status and I am also determined to play my part in realizing our ambition to be a leader in the delivery of safe and responsible gaming. 

“I have a strong understanding of the complexities of operating in a heavily regulated environment and will be prioritizing continued progress on the reform, remediation and cultural transformation underway across the business while delivering an exceptional experience for our customers.

“Sydney is the gateway to Australia and Crown Sydney has a significant role to play in fostering a re-emergence of activity across the hospitality and tourism sectors.”