The Star is set to welcome former Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) executive, Scott Wharton, as CEO of The Star Sydney and Group Head of Transformation.
At CBA, Wharton held the position of Group Executive, Program Delivery, and was responsible for leading key transformation efforts, including CBA’s response to the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority’s (APRA) 2018 Prudential Inquiry Report into governance, culture and accountability.
Wharton’s appointment, which is subject to regulatory approvals, follows the recent appointment of Robbie Cooke as The Star Entertainment Group CEO and Managing Director.
Interim Chairman, Ben Heap, said Wharton’s experience will be valuable to The Star as it drives a Renewal Program across the group.
“The work he led at CBA has been recognised as one of the most comprehensive reforms of corporate culture in Australia,” Heap said.
“His leadership capabilities, expertise in delivering significant transformation working closely with regulators, together with his commercial skills and experience managing complex businesses, made him the ideal candidate to take on this key position within the organisation.”
Throughout Wharton’s career he has led large teams and transformation programs in the US, Asia and Australia. Prior to joining CBA in 2016, he held various roles within Citigroup, in Hong Kong and New York, including the position of Managing Director, Global Head of Supply Chain.
“I am looking forward to joining The Star at this critical moment in its history,” Wharton said.
“The Star plays an important role in the economies of NSW and Qld as a major employer and catalyst for the states’ tourism industries.
“I look forward to working closely with the team at The Star, as well as regulators and other stakeholders.”
‘A lot of work ahead’
The Star’s Renewal Program, focused on its operations in NSW and Queensland, is currently underway and centres around governance, culture, training, risk and compliance systems and technology.
“The Renewal Program commenced several months ago and, while we still have a lot of work ahead of us, we are pleased with the initial progress,” said Heap.
“This program is integral to redesigning the way we do things. It’s about enhancing the systems and controls to help ensure our casinos operate free from criminal influence and creating an environment to work collaboratively and cooperatively with regulators.
“The recently announced appointment of Robbie Cooke as CEO and Managing Director, and now Scott in a pivotal role as CEO of The Star Sydney and Group Head of Transformation, continues to advance that commitment.”