MGM Resorts International says it has “reinforced its commitment to the Japanese market” following the appointment of former Charge d’Affaires at the United States Embassy Tokyo, Jason P Hyland, as Representative Officer and President of MGM Resorts Japan.
The company has also announced the allocation of “development specialists” to Japan as it increases its total development staffing in the US and Japan combined to more than a dozen, with the aim of realizing a Japanese resort.
To accommodate its expanded team, MGM Resorts Japan will relocate its office from Akasaka to Otemachi, Tokyo and open a new office in the central business district on 1 September 2017. Since establishing Japanese subsidiaries in Tokyo and Osaka in 2014, MGM Resorts Japan said it has been providing information on integrated resorts to government, industry and private entities while building relationships and gathering information on the domestic market. The company also plans to open a new office in Osaka in the future.
“Opening a new office in the heart of Tokyo’s business district and expanding our MGM Japan team reflect our strong commitment and determination,” said MGM Resorts Japan Representative Officer and CEO Ed Bowers.
“The new office will become our core hub as our team advances toward the realization of a resort that is uniquely Japanese.”
On the appointment of Mr Hyland, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MGM Resorts Jim Murren said, “We are very pleased to welcome Jason to the team and look forward to his contributions and insights. Jason’s substantial experience as senior diplomat, his deep understanding of the Japanese culture, as well as his proven leadership, negotiation skills, extensive network and strong command of the Japanese language will be a tremendous asset as we promote activities in Japan.”
Mr Hyland has worked and studied in Asia for more than 17 years, including 14 in Japan. He has lived in Tokyo, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Osaka and travelled throughout the country.
As Charge d’Affaires and as Deputy Chief of Mission at US Mission Japan, he supervised more than 700 employees, five consulates and a language school, engaging daily with the most senior officials in government, business and academia.
In his tenure at the US Mission, he oversaw American participation in the G7 Summit, President Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima and the revision of the US-Japan Defense Guidelines. He is a strong advocate for US-Japan business partnerships, having worked closely with the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), the US-Japan Business Council, Japan Tourism Agency, and other organizations.
Mr Hyland studied at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, The National War College, University of California, Berkeley, the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies and as Visiting Foreign Scholar at the University of Tokyo. He has received numerous awards from the Department of State, including Superior Honor Awards, Meritorious Honor Awards, the Expeditionary Service Award and the Sinclaire Language Award.
