The Star Entertainment Group has declared that David Foster has resigned from his position as Chairman. Anne Ward, a member of the board, will assume the role immediately.
Foster assumed the Chairman position in December 2022, succeeding Ben Heap. He joined the Star Entertainment Group board in August 2022.
Before joining Star Entertainment Group, Foster had more than 25 years of experience in the financial sector, including serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Suncorp Bank. He has also served on boards across various industries, including finance, retail, government, education, and professional services.
Foster will continue to be a part of the Star Entertainment Group board for a period of time and will continue to fulfill his current executive duties. He will also continue to serve on the boards of relevant subsidiaries until these positions are filled by others.
Ward takes over from Foster as Chairman of Star Entertainment Group. Ward joined the Star Entertainment Group board at the same time as Foster.
Ward possesses extensive experience, having worked in the fields of finance, banking, insurance, technology, healthcare, government, education, tourism, and entertainment. She has held numerous positions, including business management, strategy, governance, risk, and finance.
She served on the board of Crown Resorts from September 2021 to June 2022. Ward stepped down from the board after Blackstone finished its takeover.
Ward has also served as Chair of Victoria Zoo, Qantas Retirement Fund, Symbio, and Fleixgroup. She is presently a director of the non-profit organization Image Research and Articore, previously known as Redbubble, an online marketplace for independent artists.
A number of executives have stepped down from Star Entertainment Group as the second phase of the Bell Inquiry commences.
Foster’s departure is the most recent significant shake-up at Star Entertainment Group since the second phase of the Bell Inquiry began in February. The inquiry, referred to as Bell 2.0, will continue until May 31 and is a follow-up to the infamous Bell Report.
The initial report revealed shortcomings in Star Sydney’s anti-money laundering and social responsibility practices and suggested 30 measures to enhance practices. A year after the report was released, a report indicated that Star had implemented 22 of the 30 recommendations.
The second phase of the Bell Inquiry is concentrating on Star’s culture and the impact of the first phase Bell Report.
Following the initiation of the inquiry, Star announced a series of senior management changes.
Last month, Robbie Cooke resigned as Group CEO and Managing Director. Christina Cassibuba is also prepared to leave as Chief Financial Officer.
Cooke assumed the role of Star CEO in November 2022.
During the last twelve months, he assumed the position of the fourth chief executive officer of the company, succeeding Matt Bekier, who stepped down amidst an inquiry into The Star in New South Wales. This followed the departures of John O’Neill and Jeff Hogg.
Furthermore, Foster took on the added responsibility of executive chairman while seeking a replacement for the CEO position.
In the meantime, Kassimbaba will be departing the organization to pursue other ventures. Neil O’Connell, the former chief financial officer of Tatts Group, will temporarily assume the role.
This month, Star also revealed that Jessica Mellor will be relinquishing her position as chief executive officer of The Star Gold Coast. Her departure will be effective on May 24th.
Mellor has been at the helm of The Star Gold Coast since last October. Upon assuming the role, she became the company’s youngest female chief executive officer. She previously served as chief operating officer at The Star for four and a half years.
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