GGRAsia – Wynn Resorts appoints COO, new executives for UAE project

Wynn Resorts appoints COO, new executives for UAE project

Sep 14, 2024 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World

Global casino operator Wynn Resorts Ltd has announced three new executive appointments to Wynn Al Marjan Island, the group’s under-construction project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The announcement was made via a LinkedIn post last week.

Tom Roelens has been named chief operating officer at Wynn Al Marjan Island (pictured in a rendering), responsible for overseeing “the resort’s non-gaming operations”.

Described as an executive with more than “25 years of experience managing ultra-luxury hotel operations,” he most recently opened Atlantis The Royal and managed operations for Atlantis The Palm, both properties in Dubai, part of the UAE.

David Patent has been named executive vice president of casino operations, and Sherri DeSalvio joins the project as vice president of pre-opening planning and strategic initiatives.

Mr Patent was previously chief executive of VizExplorer Inc, an analytics and business intelligence solutions provider. He held senior management roles at three different Caesars Entertainment properties, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in the Midwest of the United States, according to the post.

The firm said Ms DeSalvio would develop and execute key strategic initiatives at Wynn Al Marjan Island. Her career with the Wynn brand began in 2008, “and she has held progressive roles in hotel sales and convention operations while also managing various high-impact special projects”.

The freshly-appointed executives will report to Max Tappeiner, who in August was named president of Wynn Al Marjan Island.

Wynn Resorts – parent of Macau casino operator Wynn Macau Ltd – is currently developing Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s emirates. The project has been described as a US$3.9-billion venture involving local partners, in which Wynn Resorts is a 40-percent equity investor.

Wynn Resorts’ local partners for Wynn Al Marjan Island are Marjan LLC, and RAK Hospitality Holding LLC.

Facilities at Wynn Al Marjan Island are due to include a hotel with 1,542 rooms, including 22 private villas on a marina adjacent to the resort. The property will also feature a 7,500-square-metre [80,729-sq-feet] events centre, a 15,000-sq-metre retail venue, more than 20 restaurants and bars, and a theatre, according to Wynn Resorts.

Earlier this year, the casino firm stated that the UAE project was on track to “open to the public in early 2027”.

In its own post on LinkedIn, Mr Roelens said: “I am honoured and excited to join Max Tappeiner and the Wynn Al Marjan Island team.”

He added: “I am thankful to Craig Billings [Wynn Resorts’ CEO] and Max for the opportunity and look forward to working with this world-class team to expand Wynn Resorts to a new territory as the first gaming operator in the UAE.”

In July, the official website for the UAE’s gambling regulator – the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) – went live to the public. The body has also announced the federal nation’s first-ever lottery licence.