Australian operator Star Entertainment Group has chosen Scott Wharton to be the new CEO of its Star Sydney property, pending requisite approval from state regulators.
Wharton most recently served as an executive for Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), where he was said to have been a leader in corporate innovation. He will report to Star CEO Robert Cooke, who was also just appointed mere weeks ago.
Star’s interim Chairman Ben Heap said in a statement that Wharton’s “ leadership, capabilities, expertise in delivering significant transformation working closely with regulators, together with his commercial skills and experience managing complex businesses, made him the ideal candidate to take on this key position within the organization.”
Heap added: “Scott has broad business experience. He has led large teams and managed multifaceted change programs with significant budgets in the United States and Asia as well as Australia. We are delighted to have him join The Star at this important juncture.”
Star also named Wharton as its Group Head of Transformation, a role whose duties will involve “enhancing the systems and controls to help ensure our casinos operate free from criminal influence and creating an environment to work collaboratively and cooperatively with regulators,” according to Heap.
His appointment comes at a rather critical time for Star and The Star Sydney, as the casino is still under investigation for allegations involving fraud, money laundering and other infractions. The final verdict for the inquiry is expected to be delivered in the coming months.
