Australia’s Star Entertainment Group (The Star) announced on Thursday that Janelle Campbell will serve as The Star Sydney’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As Jessica Mellor became the CEO of The Star Gold Coast last October and this week also saw the recruitment of Daniel Finch as CEO of The Star Brisbane, Thursday’s announcement marks the completion of The Star’s series of CEO recruitments. Campbell’s duties will commence on February 25th.
Robbie Cooke, Group CEO and Managing Director of The Star Entertainment Group, welcomed Campbell and commended her for her experience, talent, and strong leadership skills. He put an emphasis on how Campbell has previously managed teams comprising over 1,200 individuals, as well as on her exceptional “track record” when it comes to devising strategic business plans and their successful application. Cooke also underscored her time at Melco Resorts and Entertainment in Macau, where she served as Senior Vice President of Finance.
Campbell issued a statement as well, expressing her excitement at becoming a member of The Star’s team “at a pivotal moment in the company’s history.” She stressed the importance of making sure that she and her team successfully pivot The Star back to stability and build trust and confidence in the company. Campbell concluded her statement by talking about the Group’s strive to provide a “world-class experience” and how she is looking forward to ensuring that The Star Sydney is prosperous.
Campbell’s experience in the industry spans two decades. In addition to overseeing the financial operations of Melco Resorts and Entertainment, she also held the position of Executive Director of Finance at Conrad Jupiters and Treasury Casinos Queensland between 2003 and 2004 and previously served as Director of Finance and Financial Controller at Brisbane’s Conrad Treasury for nearly ten years.
The Star has Faced Substantial Financial Struggles
Campbell’s appointment is a part of a broader restructuring effort that aims to help The Star improve its overall performance due to how, as previously reported by Casino Guardian, the years 2022 and 2023 proved to be particularly tumultuous and financially difficult for the company. The year 2022 saw The Star being hit with a staggering AU$100 million fine by the New South Wales gambling regulator for failure to address money laundering. The company was also required to implement 30 remediation recommendations by the NSW gambling watchdog.
In August 2023, the gambling giant was forced to pay a more modest AU$140,000 fine for breaching a number of Queensland’s gambling regulations, including allowing patrons to use credit cards to gamble as well as targeting individuals who have excluded themselves from gambling. Summer 2023 was also when the company revealed a full-year loss of AU$1.6 million, a fiscal year loss of AU$2.44 billion, and The Star’s financial struggles ultimately resulted in the company laying off 500 employees.
On September 25th, The Star published a company presentation in which an equity raise goal of AU$750 million was announced along with new four-year debt facilities of AU$450 million underwritten by Barclays and Westpac. The presentation also outlined the company’s progress with the remediation requirements, 22 of which have been met, as well as the preparation to implement cashless payments in its gambling establishments in August 2024.
- Author
Daniel Williams
