MGM reshuffles management amid Covid-19 uncertainty

Changes were announced in a memo sent out by the company’s CEO, Bill Hornbuckle.

US.- MGM Resorts has reshuffled senior management again due to the uncertain circumstances faced by the gaming industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest changes, announced in an internal memo, come just months after the casino operator reorganised its leadership at the property level.

Current CFO Corey Sanders will move to the COO, returning to a role he previously held for almost a decade before becoming CFO when Dan D’Arrigo stepped down in March 2019.

Meanwhile, the president of commercial and growth, Atif Rafiq, will be stepping down from his role as from December 18. MGM will also make way for a new Chief Technology Officer role to take responsibility for the digital technology departments.

As for specific properties, the president and chief operating officer of MGM Resorts International’s Las Vegas portfolio, Anton Nikodemus, is transitioning to president of CityCenter. Former chief marketing officer Ann Hoff is taking over the leadership of Bellagio and Park MGM.

MGM’s president and CEO, Bill Hornbuckle, said in the memo: “I feel confident that this plan will help us grow the company and build us back stronger than ever before. I truly believe that our best days are in front of us, and together this leadership team will bring this company to new heights.”

The changes come as casino operators in Nevada await the decision of Governor Steve Sisolak, who is currently evaluating new Covid-19 restrictions in the state after a spike in cases.

Research conducted in April showed that there had been a 100 per cent rise in internet searches for “online casino” in North America since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but many in the industry remain uncertain if the increase will continue once the pandemic ends.