Win Systems adds strategic advisor –Win Systems International, a global supplier of systems and software for casinos and lottery, announced the appointment of casino industry veteran Roy Student as a strategic advisor to help the company maintain continued growth in world markets.
Student was formerly president of Cyberview Technology, Inc., and prior to that was the vice president of sales for Cyberscan Technology and the longtime chairman and president of pioneering technology firm Gaming Systems International. He has 36 years of gaming industry experience, and is respected throughout the industry as an innovator and leader. Student also is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Global Gaming Business.
Win has its roots in the international lottery industry, deploying and managing networked systems for state and national lotteries around the world. The company has offices in the U.S., Spain and Argentina and is now looking to become a full-service provider of server-based gaming solutions to the casino industry.
“We are delighted to have Roy joining our team,” said Dario Zutel, chairman and CEO of Win Systems International. “He is renowned and respected within the industry, and will contribute immensely to achieve our expansion plans within the American gaming market.”
MotorCity names hotel VP – MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan, named Randal Villareal vice president of hotel operations, effective immediately. The hotel at the MotorCity casino opened November 1. Villareal previously worked as divisional vice president of the Remington Hotel Corp. in Dallas.
Isle names U.K. exec – Isle of Capri Casinos has named Donn Mitchell senior vice president of United Kingdom operations. Mitchell joined the company in 1996 as director of financial analysis and has served as senior vice president, CFO and treasurer since 2005.
Mitchell recently oversaw a refinancing at Isle of Capri that resulted in a new $1.35 billion senior secured credit facility. His new promotion still needs the approval of regulators.
Virginia McDowell, president and COO of Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., said, “Donn’s familiarity with our properties and markets will be a significant asset.” In the U.K., Isle of Capri currently owns the casino at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and has a two-thirds interest in casinos in Dudley and Wolverhampton.
GameTech names CFO – GameTech International, Inc., a leading supplier of electronic bingo equipment, announced that Donald Tateishi has been named chief financial officer. Tateishi has 15 years of financial experience, most recently with Harrah’s, where he was director of finance for the operator’s Reno property.
“We are extremely pleased to have a person with Donald’s financial and gaming qualifications joining GameTech,” said Jay Meilstrup, the company’s president and CEO. “As our company continues its growth, we will be relying on Donald’s experience to support the needs of our company in the future.”
Prior to his position at Harrah’s Reno, Tateishi was director of planning and analysis for the western division of Harrah’s Entertainment.
Wynn names operations chief – Wynn Resorts Ltd. named Philippe Caretti senior vice president and general manager of resort operations at Wynn Las Vegas.
In his new position, Caretti will oversee all aspects of the resort administration operations.
He brings 27 years of hotel management experience to Wynn Las Vegas, having previously worked in other popular vacation destination cities including Geneva, London, Chicago, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok.
Most recently, he was working at the Hotel Mulia Senayan Jakarta, where he held the position of vice president and general manager responsible for operating the property’s 996-room hotel and resort in Bali.
Prior to working in Indonesia, Caretti spent 13 years with the Shangri-La Hotel Group and distinguished himself with both the Swissotel Group and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. He is a graduate of the prestigious Lausanne Hotel Management School in Switzerland.
Dolci named president of USPC – The United States Playing Card Company announced the appointment of Phil Dolci as the company’s president.
Dolci has 15 years of management experience, most recently serving as vice president and general manager at Sanford, L.P., a division of Newell Rubbermaid, where he contributed to the growth of such brands as Sharpie and Expo. Prior to that, he was brand director at ConAgra Foods, Inc., general manager at Dean Foods, and in brand management at Kraft Foods, Inc.
Marvel to direct database ops – Cannery Casino Resorts in Las Vegas named Michael Marvel executive director of database operations and analysis.
Marvel joined Cannery in 2002 as director of database marketing. He brought with him previous gaming experience acquired working as database marketing manager for the Stratosphere and Arizona Charlie’s hotel casinos in Las Vegas, where he was responsible for all marketing activities for Icahn Gaming in Nevada.
Marvel also has experience working as a human resource recruiter for Station Casinos, and as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Air Force.
“Mike Marvel has been a great asset to our team,” said Joey Whitacre, vice president of corporate casino marketing at Cannery Casino Resorts. “We look forward to his continued growth and success with Cannery Casino Resorts.”
Fontainebleau appoints marketing VP – Las Vegas-based Fontainebleau Resorts, LLC announced the appointment of Marta Lautin as vice president of marketing. Lautin will be based in the company’s Aventura, Florida office.
In her new position, Lautin will oversee marketing for the Fontainebleau Resorts brand, which currently includes the $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Las Vegas under construction on the Strip, and Fontainebleau Miami Beach, now undergoing a $500 million renovation.
Previously, Lautin was director of marketing programs for LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, where she directed all aspects of creative, branding and strategic marketing services.
“Marta brings a tremendous amount of experience and creativity to the Fontainebleau executive team,” said Howard Karawan, chief operating officer of Fontainebleau Resorts. “I’m certain her expertise will be invaluable as we establish the Fontainebleau brand and introduce these two distinctive destination resorts.”
Pinnacle announces executive moves – Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. announced a series of property-level executive changes designed to help the company manage its growth and expansion.
David Williams has been named vice president and general manager of the company’s Boomtown Reno property in Verdi, Nevada. Williams most recently served in the same capacity at Boomtown New Orleans in Harvey, Louisiana, where he had held various executive positions since that property’s opening in 1994.
Terry Schneider has been named to succeed Williams as vice president and general manager of Boomtown New Orleans. Schneider most recently served as VP and general manager of Pinnacle’s former Casino Magic Biloxi property in Biloxi, Mississippi, which was closed as a result of damage from Hurricane Katrina. The closed property and related assets have since been sold.
As the general manager of Casino Magic Biloxi, Schneider oversaw all aspects of the casino property, including its AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel. Prior to that, Schneider was director of casino operations for Argosy Kansas City in Missouri, and spent several years in successive operating positions with Harveys Casinos.
Rafael Verde has been promoted to vice president and general manager of Casino Magic Argentina. Verde will oversee the company’s main Casino Magic Neuquen property, as well as the company’s several smaller regional casinos in the province. A native of Venezuela, Verde most recently served as assistant general manager at Boomtown New Orleans. He began his gaming industry career at the Argosy Casino-Baton Rouge.
“We’re pleased to be moving these three executives into new positions,” said Daniel R. Lee, Pinnacle’s chairman and CEO. “David will be instrumental in our plans for Boomtown Reno, which we plan to refurbish and expand. In New Orleans, Terry will be overseeing our plans to add a 200-guestroom, Four-Star hotel and to replace our existing riverboat with a state-of-the-art single-deck casino. Rafael will play a key role for us in Argentina, where we are completing construction of our first hotel adjoining our principal casino.”
James named COO of Seminole Gaming – The Seminole Tribe of Florida announced that John J. James has been named chief operating officer for Seminole Gaming, with overall responsibility for the operations of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, Florida, as well as other Florida Seminole Casinos in Coconut Creek, Hollywood, on the Immokalee Reservation near Naples, on the Brighton Reservation northwest of Lake Okeechobee and on the Big Cypress Reservation south of Lake Okeechobee.
James will report directly to James Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming. “John is a respected gaming industry professional and we look forward to his leadership of Seminole Gaming in the coming months and years,” said Allen.
James was most recently general manager of the Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California. For more than two years, he directed 5,000 team members and was responsible for operations at the 522-room, Four-Diamond casino resort, which is owned by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians.The Pechanga Casino includes both Class III slot machines and Class II electronic bingo machines, as well as table games and poker.
His earlier gaming and resort experience includes Station Casinos, Inc., the Regent Las Vegas, Palms Casino Resort, Fiesta Casino & Hotel, Boomtown Las Vegas Resort, Four Queens Hotel & Casino, Gold River Casino Resort and Bally’s Las Vegas.
