CLAIMS TO FAME
- Go-to person for government relations at Wynn Macau since inception
The departure of several senior Wynn Macau Ltd executives in recent years has served to cement Linda Chen’s status within the company, even at a time when her bread and butter – VIP gaming – has faced a myriad of challenges.
The February retirement of Ian Michael Coughlan, a man who had controlled much of the company’s day-to-day operations, saw Chen take over as Wynn Macau President on top of her Vice Chairman and COO roles. She was also the obvious choice to be named Managing Director of Wynn’s local concession holding entity, satisfying a requirement under Macau’s new gaming law by which all such entities must nominate a Macau-based Managing Director who personally holds a 15% interest.
Although this 15% stake is nominal – providing no actual voting or economic power – it does indicate the central role Chen plays in the company’s future direction.
Meanwhile, Wynn Macau continues to reinvent its premium offerings with a renewed focus on direct VIP showing dividends at Cotai property Wynn Palace and a recent renovation of the Wynn Macau gaming floor expected to do the same.
No doubt Chen’s experience – she joined Wynn Macau in 2002 and has been part of the company’s journey throughout the entire 20 years of its original casino concession – will prove invaluable on that front.
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