Shake-up in Crown top ranks

Casino operator Crown is shaking up its senior management team by promoting its Perth resort boss at the expense of his Melbourne counterpart.

By InvestSMART · 3 Aug 2013

By InvestSMART ·
3 Aug 2013

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Casino operator Crown is shaking up its senior management team by promoting its Perth resort boss at the expense of his Melbourne counterpart.

The James Packer-controlled company has appointed Perth casino chief Barry Felstead to head its Australian resort operations.

Mr Felstead will take on the newly created role of chief executive officer, Australian resorts, with offices in Perth and Melbourne.

He will report to Crown chief executive Rowen Craigie.

Melbourne casino boss Greg Hawkins will step down. But Mr Hawkins may provide consultancy services in the future, Crown said.

Mr Craigie said the restructure would enable it "to further optimise the synergies and performance of its two existing Australian resorts, while being positioned to capitalise on opportunities to expand its resort portfolio in Australia".

"I look forward to working closely with [Felstead] in managing all our Australian resorts, in particular, in leveraging the significant capital expenditure which is being made on these properties," he said.

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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…

What senior management change did Crown announce?

Crown, the James Packer-controlled casino operator, promoted Perth casino chief Barry Felstead to the newly created role of chief executive officer, Australian resorts. He will run Australian resort operations from offices in Perth and Melbourne and report to Crown chief executive Rowen Craigie. Melbourne casino boss Greg Hawkins will step down and may provide consultancy services in future.

Who is Barry Felstead and what will he do as CEO, Australian resorts?

Barry Felstead is Crown's Perth casino boss. In his new role as CEO, Australian resorts, he will head the company's Australian resort operations, work from Perth and Melbourne offices, and report directly to chief executive Rowen Craigie.

What happened to Greg Hawkins, the Melbourne casino boss?

Greg Hawkins will step down from his role as Melbourne casino boss. Crown said he may provide consultancy services to the company in the future, but he is no longer leading the Melbourne resort.

Who will Barry Felstead report to in the new Crown structure?

Barry Felstead will report to Crown chief executive Rowen Craigie under the newly created CEO, Australian resorts structure.

Why did Crown restructure its Australian resort leadership?

According to Rowen Craigie, the restructure is designed to 'further optimise the synergies and performance' of Crown's two existing Australian resorts, and to position the company to capitalise on opportunities to expand its resort portfolio in Australia.

How does the management change relate to Crown’s resort expansion and capital expenditure?

The restructure centralises leadership of Australian resorts to better leverage the significant capital expenditure being made on Crown's properties and to position the business to pursue expansion opportunities in Australia, as stated by the company.

Where will the CEO, Australian resorts, be based and why does that matter?

The new CEO role will have offices in both Perth and Melbourne. That reflects Crown's focus on managing its two existing Australian resorts more closely and leveraging investment across those key locations.

What should everyday investors take away from Crown’s leadership shake-up?

The announcement shows Crown is actively reorganising its Australian resort leadership to boost operational synergies and support planned capital investment and potential expansion. Investors watching the company may want to note the consolidation of resort oversight under Barry Felstead and the emphasis on leveraging significant capital expenditure at Crown’s properties.