CLAIMS TO FAME
- Global gaming experience includes stints in Macau, Australia and New Zealand
Arriving at Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands in October 2019 as Senior Vice President Resort Operations, former Macau and Australian hotel executive Paul Town certainly endured a baptism of fire by way of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, having quickly been promoted to Chief Operating Officer following the 2021 departures of then Chief Casino Officer Andrew MacDonald and long-time Managing Director George Tanasijevich, the New Zealander is now reaping the benefits of his perseverance.
This has been a record-breaking year for MBS, achieving Adjusted EBITDA of US$597 million in the March 2024 quarter and, despite renovation works impacting revenues, another US$512 million of EBITDA in Q2. Some may have laughed when Rob Goldstein, the Chairman and CEO of MBS parent Las Vegas Sands, said he wanted the property to generate profits of US$2 billion annually but that now looks exceedingly cautious. No wonder he has since raised that goal to US$3 billion a year.
MBS, meanwhile, has undergone a US$1 billion revamp of Towers 1 and 2 and is well into another US$750 million upgrade of hotel rooms in Tower 3.
Development of a long-awaited fourth hotel tower, first announced in 2019, will also get underway in earnest next July, adding another 587 rooms across 153,100 square meters of hotel space, with an additional 12,185 square meters of retail space plus a sky roof, 15,000-seat entertainment arena and additional premium MICE space, as well as new food and beverage and nightlife offerings – all at a cost of US$8 billion.
For the full list of 2024 Asian Gaming Power 50 winners, click here.
