Star Entertainment Group has convinced ex-Crown Resorts boss Steve McCann to helm the struggling casino operator from July 8 after weeks of negotiations.
He will receive a sign-on bonus of $2.5 million and could earn up to $10 million by the end of the 2026 financial year in bonuses.The former Lendlease boss will primarily be charged with finding a way forward for The Star, which is just weeks away from knowing if it’ll be able to keep its NSW casino doors open, and plans to open a new $3.6 billion precinct in Queensland known as Queens Wharf Brisbane in a few months.
Cooke and former chairman David Foster were singled out over three weeks of hearings into the group in April as being uncooperative with the NSW regulator and The Star’s special manager, Nicholas Weeks. The Star’s board first approached McCann earlier this year after it became clear Cooke’s position was no longer tenable. Cooke stepped down at the end of March.