The Star Entertainment Group has appointed Scott Wharton as Chief Executive Officer of Star Sydney Casino and Head of the Transformation Group.
Wharton joined Star after working for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) for over six years. He recently served as a group executive for program distribution after he served as executive general manager.
Prior to that, he was Co-Chairman of Supply Nation, including Global Head of Supply Chairs and Managing Director for over 6 years in Citi.
Wharton will report directly to Robbie Cook, the next Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Star Entertainment Group, whose appointment was announced at the end of June.
“I look forward to joining the star at this important moment in its history,” Wharton said. “Stars play an important role as a major employer and catalyst in the state’s tourism industry in the New South Wales and Queensland economies.
“We look forward to working closely with The Star’s team, regulators and other stakeholders.”
Interim Chairman Ben Heap said: His CBA-led work is recognized as one of Australia’s most comprehensive corporate culture reforms.
“With his leadership skills, the expertise to work closely with regulatory agencies to make significant changes, and his commercial skills and experience in managing complex businesses, he is ideal for occupying this important position within the organization. I became a good candidate. “
Wharton is responsible for Star Sydney when casino properties are the focus of independent reviews.This was released in June last year After concerns have been expressed about interaction with junkets and measures to prevent money laundering.
Then, in January 2022, the probe was expanded to evaluate other entities in the group. The Star Sydney review was scheduled to be completed in June, but has been extended until the end of August to allow more witnesses to submit evidence.
Hearings about casino activities have heard a series of allegations, including what the stars have allowed so far. Junket operator Suncity In violation of the New South Wales Casino Management Act, he operated his own cage at the casino, where he exchanged chips for cash.
The proceedings also alleged that Star’s statements regarding policies implemented to mitigate risks such as money laundering, corruption, bribery, insider trading, and restrictions on the use of gambling products were misleading or deceptive. I am.
Star’s longtime CEO and Managing Director Matt Bekier has resigned from both roles in response to issues raised during the ongoing review of Star Sydney Casino.
The star appointed John O’Neill as interim chairman, but less than two months later Jeff Hogg became CEO on June 1. However, it was later announced that Cook would be appointed CEO and Managing Director.
According to Star, Wharton’s appointment as Head of Transformation Group continues to build transformation offices that are leading the company’s updates focused on operations in New South Wales and Queensland. It is said that there is.
Last month, it was also announced that it would independently review Star’s suitability for holding casino licenses in Queensland.
The update consists of a set of initiatives focused on governance, culture, training, and risk and compliance systems and technologies. It also integrates and extends existing work programs in risk and compliance capabilities and implements new programs to improve operations.
“The update started a few months ago. We still have a lot of work to do, but we’re happy with the initial progress,” Heap said. “This program is essential for redesigning our way of doing things.
“It’s about strengthening systems and controls to ensure that casinos operate unaffected by crime and creating an environment where they work together with regulatory agencies.”
