Penn National Gaming Inc. has announced a new organizational structure for its executive management team to coincide with the transition of Jay Snowden to the role of chief executive officer January 1, following the retirement of current CEO Timothy Wilmott.
Wilmott announced his retirement plans in August. In an interview with CDC Gaming Reports in October, the 62-year-old Wilmott said he promised his wife he would stop working when their daughter was grown. He also said the time is right for Snowden to step in.
“If I would have stayed a couple more years, Jay could have left and gone somewhere else to get a CEO job,” Wilmott said. “Jay and I have known each other 18 years. We worked together at Harrah’s. Jay’s got a lot running room now, and at 44, he’s going to be able to steer this company forward for a lot of years.”
The reorganization includes the promotion of Todd George to executive vice president of operations and a change of title for Chris Rogers to senior vice president and chief strategy officer. Some of the moves are subject to regulatory approval.
George joined Penn National in October 2012 as vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. In 2014, George transitioned to the role of vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino St. Louis. Finally, in 2017 he was promoted to his current role as senior vice president, regional operations, overseeing nine properties in the company’s Midwest Region.
Prior to joining Penn National, George spent 12 years in various management positions at Pinnacle Entertainment, including leading the development and launch of Pinnacle’s two St. Louis, Missouri properties. In his new role, he will be responsible for the company’s four senior VPs of Regional Operations, as well as marketing and information technology.
Rogers joined Penn National in August 2013 as vice president and deputy general counsel. In February 2019, he was promoted to senior vice president, corporate development.
Prior to joining Penn National, Rogers was a corporate attorney at the Dallas, Texas-based law firm of Vinson and Elkins. In his newly created role of senior vice president and chief strategy officer, Rogers will lead the team in developing and pursuing the company’s strategic growth initiatives.
“Both Todd and Chris have quickly risen the management ranks at Penn National, and their new roles reflect the trust and confidence I have in them serving as integral members of my newly restructured executive management team,” said Snowden.
“As the gaming industry continues to evolve, we plan to successfully combine our diversified regional gaming footprint—the nation’s largest with 41 facilities in 19 states—with our new and expanding interactive initiatives, to deliver best-in-class omni-channel entertainment experiences for our guests. At the same time, we intend to meaningfully deleverage our balance sheet while building on our long-term progress in expanding operating margins.
“By aligning our executive leadership structure with our primary strategic objectives, our team’s diverse talents will successfully address this exciting and dynamic time for our company.”
As of January 1, the following executives will report to Snowden:
- Todd George, Executive Vice President, Operations
- Carl Sottosanti, Executive Vice President, General Counsel
- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
- Chris Rogers, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer
- Jon Kaplowitz, Senior Vice President, Interactive Gaming and Head of Penn Interactive Ventures
- Gene Clark, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Eric Schippers, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Government Relations
