Ian Silk Appointed as Chairman of Crown Melbourne

Longtime finance veteran Ian Silk (l.) has been named as the new chairman of Crown Melbourne, as the company looks to put its best foot forward following multiple state inquiries.

Ian Silk Appointed as Chairman of Crown Melbourne

Australian operator Crown Resorts is continuing its executive-level carousel, this time with the appointment of Ian Silk as chairman of Crown Melbourne. His appointment is subject to regulatory approval.

Silk spent 15 years as the head of AustralianSuper, the largest retirement fund in the country, representing approximately one in ten Australian workers. The finance veteran will also join Crown Resorts’ board of directors in a non-executive role, according to the company.

Crown said in a statement that Silk is “widely recognized as one of Australia’s most experienced business leaders, with deep expertise in governance, investment and risk management.”

Silk’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Crown, not long after it was acquired by U.S.-based investment giant Blackstone Group earlier this year. In addition to Silk, Crown also recently appointed John Van Der Wielen as chairman of Crown Perth and John Borghetti as chairman of Crown Sydney.

Prior to Blackstone’s takeover, Crown was found unsuitable for licensure in three separate jurisdictions, those being New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. All of those licenses have since been restored on a conditional basis.