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The Star Entertainment Group’s CEO of The Star Gold Coast, Jessica Mellor, has submitted her resignation to the company’s board, effective 24 May 2024.
Mellor, who assumed the role of CEO in October 2023, is recognised as the youngest and first female CEO of The Star Gold Coast.
But that means she lasted just six months in the role…
During her tenure, she was involved in the development of the property as a tourism and entertainment destination, overseeing initiatives such as a $2bn master plan as part of a joint venture consortium.
In light of Mellor’s resignation, Ian Brown, General Manager Gaming at The Star Gold Coast, is set to assume additional responsibilities as acting CEO, pending regulatory approval.
Mellor has agreed to provide support to The Star until September 2024 to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of key projects.
David Foster, Executive Chair of The Star, commented: “Jessica has led The Star Gold Coast through some challenging times, including through COVID and has been instrumental in developing the Gold Coast property into an iconic world-class integrated destination resort with our joint venture partners. Jessica has decided the time is right to move on and she leaves with both the Board’s and my personal thanks for her tireless efforts as CEO of The Star Gold Coast.”
However, The Star Entertainment Group has recently faced allegations of misconduct and regulatory breaches. These allegations emerged during an ongoing inquiry into the company’s culture by the NSW Independent Casino Commission.
Nicholas Weeks, the special manager appointed by the commission, testified about concerning incidents within the operator, including claims of falsified welfare checks on poker machine players and compliance record discrepancies.
These allegations have raised concerns about the company’s compliance with regulatory standards and internal controls.
Furthermore, The Star Entertainment Group underwent leadership changes as CEO Robbie Cooke and CFO Christina Katsibouba resigned amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny and market apprehensions.
Cooke’s departure was prompted by concerns regarding his suitability for the role amid the inquiry in New South Wales.
