Star Entertainment has disclosed the promotion of Jessica Mellor to the role of Chief Executive Officer of its Gold Coast resort, pending all necessary regulatory approvals, in the latest C-level reshuffle to occur at the company.
This, Star noted, forms part of a wider organisational restructure that will see the creation of property-based operational business units across each core market, which includes neighbouring Brisbane as well as Sydney.
Each of these will subsequently become led by a property-based CEO that will report directly to Robbie Cooke, Group CEO and Managing Director. The Star is progressing the appointment of CEOs in the remaining jurisdictions.
“I’m delighted Jess has accepted the CEO position at The Star Gold Coast. Over the past four years, through some incredibly challenging times, Jess and the Gold Coast team have delivered a world-class tourism, entertainment and gaming destination,” Cooke noted.
Adding: “The organisational changes being implemented are designed to simplify our structure and provide clearer operational accountability at each of our Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney properties.
“The new structure will provide greater responsibility and decision-making power at a property level while maintaining appropriate oversight from the group level.”
Mellor previously occupied the position of Executive Director and CEO of Aquis Entertainment, whose assets at the time included Casino Canberra, prior to joining Star.
Upon joining the group, she become The Star Gold Coast’s youngest and first female Chief Operating Officer upon being appointed to the position in 2019.
“When I joined The Star in 2019, I was so grateful to be in a position to take on an amazing opportunity whilst also returning to my hometown,” she said.
“This new role takes it to another level. For me the focus has always been on delivering amazing experiences for our guests and being part of the fabric of the Gold Coast community.
“There have been some testing times over the past four years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and the agility required to keep adapting day to day.
“But the Gold Coast is resilient, it’s innovative, and there is an extraordinary future ahead of our city and The Star can be such a significant contributor to that.”
Earlier in the month, Star vowed to learn the lessons from the past amid a proclamation that 2023 “will be remembered as a watershed year” for the company.
The comments were made by David Foster, Chair and Independent Non-Executive Director, in the operator’s latest annual report, following a series of regulatory run-ins that have blighted the Australian casino industry.
However, the company has asserted that it is emerging from “a period when we committed to changing the ways we fundamentally behave and operate”.
