The Star Entertainment Group has declared that David Foster has resigned from his position as Chairman. In his place, board member Anne Ward will assume the leadership role.
Foster took on the Chairman position in December of 2022, succeeding Ben Heap. His involvement with the Star Entertainment Group board began in August of the same year.
Before joining the Star Entertainment Group, Foster accumulated over 25 years of experience in the financial sector. This included his role as CEO of Suncorp Bank. He has also held board positions across a diverse range of industries, including finance, retail, government, education, and professional services.
Foster will remain a member of the Star Entertainment Group board for a period of time and will continue to carry out his current executive duties. He will also maintain his positions on the boards of associated subsidiaries until replacements are found.
Ward assumes the role of the new Chairman of the Star Entertainment Group.
The Star Entertainment Group acted promptly in appointing Ward as the new Chairman, with the appointment becoming effective today (April 29). Notably, Ward joined the Star Entertainment Group board concurrently with Foster.
Ward possesses extensive experience in the financial, banking, insurance, technology, healthcare, government, education, tourism, and entertainment sectors. Her career encompasses 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 her role after Blackstone finalized its takeover.
Ward has also served as the head of the boards of Victoria Zoo, Qantas Superannuation, Symbio and Fleixgroup. She is also presently a director of the non-profit organization Image Research and Articore, an online platform for independent artists, formerly known as Redbubble.
The departure of key figures continues as the second Bell investigation gets underway.
Foster’s exit marks the most recent in a series of executive departures from the struggling company since the second Bell investigation commenced in February. The investigation, dubbed “Bell Two,” is scheduled to run until May 31 and is a follow-up to the notorious Bell Report.
The initial report revealed shortcomings in Star Sydney’s anti-money laundering and social responsibility practices and suggested 30 steps to improve practices. A year after the report was released, a report indicated that Star had implemented 22 of the 30 recommendations.
The second investigation is focused on Star’s culture and the impact of the first Bell report.
Since the investigation began, Star has declared a number of executive changes.
Last month, Robbie Cooke resigned as group CEO and managing director. Christina Cassibuba is also set to leave her position as CFO.
Cooke assumed the role of CEO of Star in November 2022.
In this current year, he took on the position of the fourth chief executive officer of the company, following Matt Bekier (who stepped down from his position during the *Sydney Morning Herald* investigation in New South Wales), John O’Neill, and Geoff Hogg.
Foster also acted as the executive chairman while the company searched for a new leader.
Meanwhile, Katsibouba is departing from the organization to explore other professional opportunities. Former Tatts Group chief financial officer Neale O’Connell will temporarily assume the role.
This month, Star Entertainment Group also revealed that Jessica Mellor will be leaving her position as chief executive officer of Star Gold Coast. She will officially depart on May 24.
Mellor has been at the helm of Star Gold Coast since last October. She became the company’s youngest and first female leader after assuming the position. She spent four and a half years as the chief operating officer at Star Entertainment Group.
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