Aristocrat Leisure has announced that Bill G. Lance Jr. has been nominated as a non-executive director of the company’s board of directors, subject to relevant regulatory approvals.
A prominent Native American tribal leader in the United States, Lance was the longest-serving secretary of commerce in the history of the Chickasaw Nation, a major Oklahoma-based tribe, where he was responsible for 7,000 employees and more than 60 gaming, hospitality, retail and media commercial operations.
Upon stepping down as secretary of commerce, Lance was given the honorary title of the Chickasaw Nation’s secretary of state as part of a planned succession. In this role, he continues to represent the tribe on multiple national and state-level organizations across the U.S., such as the American Gaming Association and Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
Lance is also a member of the board of the Chickasaw Foundation and serves on the board of directors of the NASDAQ-listed company BancFirst. He previously served as a member of the board of trustees for the University of Oklahoma Foundation, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Advisory Council, and as a regent for the University of Arts and Sciences of Oklahoma.
Shareholders will be asked to elect Lance as a non-executive director at its annual general meeting in February 2023.
Aristocrat Chairman Neil Chatfield said, “I am delighted to welcome a director of Bill’s caliber to the Board. His decades of experience as a major gaming operator and a tribal leader of national standing in the U.S. will bring valuable new perspectives to the board’s deliberations. I’m confident that Bill will further strengthen the customer focus of our organization as a whole. I congratulate Bill on his nomination and look forward to his contribution to Aristocrat.”
