In a significant move for its senior management team, Star has appointed Jeannie Mok as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective from June 11. Mok’s arrival is part of a broader strategy aimed at driving substantial reforms across the organization.
Jeannie Mok joins Star with a robust portfolio of experience. Prior to this, Mok served at Crown Resorts for over two years, initially as Chief of Staff before being promoted to Chief Transformation Officer. Mok’s tenure at Crown Resorts was marked by her ability to spearhead transformative initiatives and drive operational efficiency.
Before her time at Crown Resorts, Mok spent more than 14 years with the Australian construction and real estate giant, Lendlease Group. During her extensive tenure there, she held various leadership roles, including the position of Head of Operational Excellence for its property business. Her responsibilities involved overseeing operations to achieve peak performance and facilitating the successful execution of strategic projects.
Mok’s illustrious career also includes a period where she worked as a solicitor for the prestigious law firm King & Wood Mallesons, adding a legal acumen to her multifaceted professional background.
Anne Ward, who assumed the position of Executive Chair at Star just last month, expressed optimism about Mok’s appointment. Ward emphasized that Mok’s leadership skills and deep industry knowledge would be instrumental in Star’s ongoing efforts to implement essential reforms.
“Jeannie’s strong leadership skills and highly relevant experience within the industry will be significant assets to our ongoing program of change,” Ward stated. “We are focused on driving sustainable improvements at Star and fostering a culture of positive transformation at all levels of the organization. We look forward to working with Jeannie across all operational aspects of this transformation.”
The leadership team at Star has seen several recent changes. Anne Ward herself is a new addition, having replaced David Foster as Executive Chair. Foster, who has also been performing additional CEO duties, stepped down from his role, marking a period of notable turnover in the company’s upper echelons. Group CEO and Managing Director Robbie Cooke and Chief Financial Officer Christina Katsibouba both exited in March this year. While Foster temporarily managed CEO responsibilities, the positions remain unfilled officially.
. In the meantime, Cooke has agreed to act as a consultant to ease the transition.
Another leadership departure includes Jessica Mellor, who has decided to step down as the CEO of Star Gold Coast.
These sweeping changes come as Star grapples with the fallout of regulatory inquiries. The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) recently launched a second inquiry into Star’s operations. Led by Adam Bell SC, the new investigation aims to scrutinize how Star has addressed the recommendations from the initial Bell report, which had declared Star unsuitable for a casino license in New South Wales back in September 2022. This determination was based on a litany of anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures. The final report from this second inquiry was expected on May 31.
In parallel, Star’s situation in Queensland offers a glimmer of respite. Though the company faced sanctions in December 2022, including a hefty AU$100 million fine and an impending license suspension, authorities have postponed the suspension. Initially expected to take effect by December 1, 2023, the deadline was extended first to May 31 and now to December 20 to allow more time for Star to implement its remediation plans and address operational deficiencies.
Amid these challenges, ambiguity persists around potential investment interest from Hard Rock International. Media reports in mid-May suggested that Hard Rock might be part of a consortium looking to invest in Star, with speculations even hinting at rebranding Star’s land-based casinos under the Hard Rock name. However, Star confirmed that while it had received expressions of interest from several external parties for potential transactions, it had not received any direct proposal from Hard Rock. Instead, the interest appeared to come from a consortium that included Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts Pacific division.
Hard Rock International vehemently denied any involvement, making it clear that they had not authorized any discussions, activities, or negotiations regarding a proposed bid for Star. The company emphasized that it takes any misuse of its brand seriously and is open to potential legal action over such unauthorized representations.
“We want to make it clear that Hard Rock International is not involved in, nor has it authorized, any discussions, activities or negotiations on its behalf in connection with a proposed bid for Star,” read a statement from Hard Rock.
As Star navigates through this turbulent period, Mok’s appointment is seen as a pivotal move towards stability and achieving the necessary operational reforms. The industry now watches closely to see how these significant changes will impact Star’s future trajectory.
