David Foster Appointed as New Chairman of Star Entertainment Group

Star Entertainment Group, one of the biggest casino operators in Australia, has announced that its search for a new Chairman is now over after it appointed David Foster to this position.

David Foster was already serving as a non-executive director at Star Entertainment, having joined the Board of Directors in December, following a corporate overhaul due to the recent regulatory inquiries into the company’s activities.

Ben Heap had been appointed as Interim Chairman in May 2022 following the departure of John O’Neill, the former Chairman of the Board. “Ben has played a pivotal role over what has been a challenging period for The Star,” David Foster said in a company ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) filing.

The new Chairman added that Ben Heap had a lot of difficult things to deal with during his interim tenure, including the appointment of Robbie Cooke as the new Chief Executive Officer in June. Moreover, the company had to work on its balance sheet after being handed heavy fines both in Queensland and New South Wales.

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“These were important and fundamental steps that have now been completed as the Company rebuilds towards an exciting new era,” David Foster added, underlining that his main focus will be on “earning back the trust of the community.”

The new chairman has extensive experience in the financial services industry, he spent 25 years in this sector and also had a five-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Suncorp Bank. That tenure was between 2008 and 2013, a very difficult time as the bank was trying to recover from the global financial crisis.

David Foster has also served on boards of directors in a wide range of industries including financial services, retail, government, education and professional services. His appointment at Star Entertainment comes at a difficult time for the company as it has to find its way back to license suitability both in New South Wales and Queensland. The company operates three casinos in Australia: The Star Sydney, The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane.

Source: “Banking veteran David Foster named new Chairman of Star Entertainment Group“. Inside Asian Gaming. March 22, 2023.