Star Entertainment appoints Christina Katsibouba as CFO
Christina Katsibouba is the new permanent chief financial officer of the company.
Australia.- The Star Entertainment Group has announced that Christina Katsibouba has been appointed as chief financial officer effective from January 1. She previously occupied the role on an interim basis.
Katsibouba’s appointment followed the resignation of Harry Theodore last May, when three senior executives of the company tendered their resignations in the wake of inquiries into alleged anti-money laundering failings.
Before stepping in as CFO, Katsibouba served as general manager of finance transformation before going on to become group financial controller, deputy CFO and group executive for gaming. Prior to joining Star in 2015, Katsibouba spent almost five years with Salmat and she spent time as financial controller for the Apparel Group and as a senior manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The Star CEO Robbie Cooke, said: “I am delighted to announce that Christina has accepted the position as CFO of The Star; Christina is a passionate and experienced gaming executive having worked in the sector for more than seven years.
“I look forward to working closely with Christina as we continue our focus on returning The Star to suitability and earning back the trust and confidence of all our stakeholders,” he concluded.
In December, the Star Entertainment Group announced in a company filing that David Foster had been appointed as an independent non-executive director following regulatory approval. The company had named Foster to the position together with Anne Ward in August.
Foster worked for more than 25 years in the financial services sector, including over five years as chief executive officer of Suncorp Bank until 2013. Katie Lahey will stand down from the board effective Friday, December 30.
ASIC starts civil proceedings against Star Entertainment executives
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has commenced Federal Court civil penalty proceedings against 11 current and former board members of The Star. It says they breached their duties under the Corporations Act by approving an expanded relationship with individuals with reported criminal links and failing to address money laundering risks.
ASIC is taking action against members of the Star’s board between 2017 and 2019: John O Neill (former chair), Matthias Bekier (former CEO), Kathleen Lahey, Richard Sheppard, Gerard Bradley, Sally Pitkin, Benjamin Heap and Zlatko Todorcevski.
