MGM Resorts International shook up its property management structure, reducing the number of resort presidents and giving new leadership the oversite of multiple properties in the company’s regions.
MGM confirmed the changes in an email Saturday to CDC Gaming Reports. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Friday on the departure of four long-time Strip resort presidents.
Under the changes, five presidents will have leadership over MGM’s 12 Strip resorts. Regionally, five presidents will have oversight over eight MGM properties in seven states.
The move comes as MGM, along with the rest of the gaming industry, is dealing with a nationwide shutdown of nearly 1,000 casinos in 43 states due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
MGM Resorts acting CEO Bill Hornbuckle said Thursday the company was developing plans to re-opening at least two resorts in Las Vegas – New York-New York and Bellagio – when Nevada gaming regulators allow the Strip to reopen. Mississippi may allow casinos, including MGM Beau Rivage I Biloxi and Gold Strike in Tunica, to reopen by Memorial Day.
Changes to the company’s property changes were hinted at by MGM more than a year ago when through the launch of MGM 2020, a company-wide cost reduction effort where more than 1,000 employees were laid off while several long-time executives took early retirement buyouts.
Hornbuckle, during Thursday’s quarterly conference call, said MGM is still committed “to strict capital discipline, and bringing intense focus on executing our current initiatives such as MGM 2020. We think there are opportunities to become even more efficient.”
MGM Resorts declined to comment.
Under the changes, in Las Vegas, longtime MGM Resorts executive Anton Nikodemus, who is the portfolio president for Las Vegas, will become president of Bellagio and Park MGM, which includes the boutique NoMad Hotel. All resort presidents in Las Vegas report to Nikodemus. Steve Zanella, another longtime company executive, will become president of ARIA and non-gaming Vdara, the company’s two properties at City Center.
Chuck Bowling will continue to be president of Mandalay Bay and the non-gaming Delano and will now add Luxor to his oversight. Mike Neubecker will become president of MGM Grand Las Vegas and New York-New York, and Nik Rytterstrom is president of The Mirage and Excalibur.
In the MGM regional markets, Jorge Perez, who is the regional portfolio president, is president of MGM National Harbor in Maryland. All regional property presidents report to Perez. Melonie Johnson is president of Borgata in Atlantic City.
Chris Kelley is president of MGM’s Northeast properties, which includes MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, and Empire City in New York. David Tsai will be president of MGM Midwest, which includes MGM Grand Detroit and MGM Northfield Park near Cleveland. Travis Lunn is president of MGM Southeast, which includes the two Mississippi properties, Beau Rivage and Gold Strike Tunica.
The Review-Journal reported that Strip resort presidents Randy Morton of Bellagio, Cindy Kiser Murphey of New York-New York, Cliff Atkinson of Luxor, and Eric Fitzgerald of Excalibur have all been laid off.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
