Jenny Holaday will soon become the first woman to run a casino in Massachusetts. In August, she’ll assume the top role at Wynn Resorts’ Encore Boston Harbor, succeeding Brian Gullbrants. Gullbrants is leaving to become president of Wynn Las Vegas.
Holaday has been Encore’s executive vice president for operations since October 2019. She has also worked at the executive level at Harrah’s, Caesars Entertainment and Mandalay Resort Group, according to Wynn. “Her experience in gaming, marketing and strategic planning make her the perfect choice to move Encore forward,” Wynn CEO Matt Maddox wrote in a letter to staff.
Holaday told the Boston Globe her mother worked in the industry. “I like to say I learned a lot through osmosis by having a very strong female role model,” she said.
Maddox said Gullbrants “has established strong relationships with regulators and gained the confidence of the local community.”
“I have been impressed with the strong team he has built around him—both executives and the dedicated and talented service team—and the results: (Encore Boston Harbor) is now experiencing its best financial performance since opening.”
Gullbrants previously served as Encore’s executive vice president of operations. He replaced Robert DeSalvio, who ran the property for five years. As the Globe noted, the $2.6 billion resort “sputtered out of the gate” in 2019, “with lower-than-expected gambling revenues that headlined a broadly disappointing performance for the state’s fledgling casino industry.”
Gullbrants helped to turn it around by shifting the focus on luxury, providing more moderately priced amenities. Then came Covid-19, which closed the property for three months and reduced patronage after it reopened. But revenues at Encore have returned to pre-pandemic levels led by strong slots totals.
The casino brought in more than $50 million in gaming revenue in April, a month when many pandemic rules remained in effect. That was only slightly below the $52.5 million it generated in February 2020, the last month before the pandemic took hold, according to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Holaday said there remains a lot to do to carry out the plans she and Gullbrants had made before the pandemic.
For instance, the convention and event business is only just starting to recover. The casino is also trying to rehire many of the workers it shed during the pandemic. There are about 400 positions open, with 2,700 people currently on staff. Before the pandemic, the resort had a full-time workforce of about 3,300, and about 1,100 part-timers.
“We’re not yet fully back on track to being able to do everything we know this resort can do,” Holaday said.
In Las Vegas, Gullbrants will succeed Marilyn Spiegel. He said he’s confident in the continuing success of the Boston Harbor property. “I feel like I’m leaving this property and team in very capable and very sound hands,” Gullbrants said.
