Star Entertainment, one of the biggest operators of land-based casinos in Australia, has announced that Star Sydney, its most important property, has been left without a leader after the Chief Executive Officer decided to resign.
Scott Wharton left Star Entertainment because he accepted a new role with another company. Media reports claim that the respective company is Smartgroup, which is active in salary packaging and novated leases. The former Star Sydney CEO also held the role of Head of Transformation for the entire Star Entertainment Group.
Wharton joined Star Sydney in July 2022, shortly after Robert Cooke took the position of Chief Executive Officer at Star Entertainment. The former Star Sydney CEO has been an executive with CommoCommonwealth Bank of Australia and was expected to drive Star’s culture transformation following the regulatory review into its operations.
Star Entertainment was found unsuitable to hold a casino license in Sydney following a government investigation, but the company was allowed a two-year window in which it is supposed to transform its business and make it fully compliant with the state laws and regulations in New South Wales.
Scott Wharton was expected to lead that effort, at the time of his appointment Ben Heap, the Interim Chairman of Star Entertainment said: “Scott has exemplary credentials as we drive a renewal program across the group. The work he led at CBA has been recognized as one of the most comprehensive reforms of corporate culture in Australia.”