GGRAsia – Paul Baker steps down as Grand Lisboa Palace president

Paul Baker steps down as Grand Lisboa Palace president

Nov 15, 2022 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

Paul Baker has stepped down as president of Macau casino resort Grand Lisboa Palace, being currently on so-called ‘gardening leave’ until early December, GGRAsia has learnt. Mr Baker had been in post since October 2018, and was involved in the property’s launch, which took place in July last year.

Prior to joining the Macau unit of gaming operator SJM Holdings Ltd, Mr Baker spent four years at casino group Genting Malaysia Bhd.

Other executives have recently left the management team at Grand Lisboa Palace resort (pictured), according to sources, including Lu Tsai, vice president of casino marketing; and Vince Leat, vice president of loyalty marketing and customer relationship management.

Personnel changes at Grand Lisboa Palace were confirmed to GGRAsia in a Tuesday statement by SJM Resorts Ltd, the group’s entity holding a current Macau gaming concession. The statement did not refer to the individuals by name.

“Some employees tendered their resignations due to respective personal reasons,” stated the company. “Their resignation will have no impact on the company’s operation,” it added.

SJM Resorts did not address in its reply a question from GGRAsia regarding replacements for the positions concerned.

The HKD39-billion (US$5-billion) Grand Lisboa Palace, SJM’s foray into Macau’s Cotai market, generated in the third quarter this year gross revenue of HKD115 million: gross gaming revenue of HKD46 million and non-gaming revenue of HKD69 million. That is according to SJM Holdings’ quarterly data filed on October 31.

The executive changes at Grand Lisboa Palace took place after a rejig in the upper management of SJM Resorts earlier this year.

In late September, SJM Resorts appointed Daisy Ho Chiu Fung as the company’s managing director. Ms Ho, who is also chairman and executive director of Hong Kong-listed SJM Holdings, replaced Angela Leong On Kei as representative of SJM Resorts.

At the time, the casino firm said Ms Ho, as SJM Resorts’ managing director, was “granted expanded management rights and authorities”, being also “responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company and corporate matters”.