One of the more recognizable figures in Vegas gaming will be moving on from the place he made his most notable professional mark in June. Per a recent report, Wynn Resorts noted last week that Steve Weitman, the president of the operator’s Las Vegas Strip properties, is leaving the company effective June 10th. The former president remarked on his tenure and his reasons for moving on. “After 20 years with this great company and leading the property to the best financial results in its history, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore are in excellent operating position,” Weitman said in a letter to colleagues and staff at the strip venues. “This has been an amazing journey and I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the best in the business.”
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Per the same article, when Weitman leaves the gaming company on June 10th, he will have spent just over two decades with the firm. Wynn and Encore Las Vegas are the operator’s Sin City properties and two of its three U.S. venues with the other being Encore Boston Harbor. As noted in another article, he joined as senior vice president of Wynn Las Vegas – a role he held for 12 years and five months – in May 2004. In September 2016, he was promoted to chief operating officer (COO) of the Sin City venues. He occupied that role until January 2023 when he was elevated to president. Prior to joining Wynn, Weitman spent more than eight years as director of operations and licensing for Walt Disney at that company’s Burbank, Calif. headquarters.
“The friendships and relationships I’ve built with many of you over the last two decades will last a lifetime, for which I am most grateful,” Weitman would add in a release.
“All of us will miss Steve, but after such a long and successful run, we can all understand why he now wants some time to consider other life options,” Wynn CEO Craig Billings said in an internal memo to staff. “Steve has been an integral part of Wynn Las Vegas for 20 years. He has demonstrated a singular level of dedication to Wynn and has contributed so much to our success. His career with the company has been inspiring to so many.”
While neither Weitman nor Wynn gave a specific reason for the executive’s decision to leave the helm of Wynn Las Vegas, his departure does come at a challenging time per one report. This is because the operator is embroiled in litigation against Fontainebleau Las Vegas for “pilfering Wynn staffers.” Wynn formally sued Fontainebleau in late February with the newest venue on the Strip firing back with a legal complaint of its own less than a month later. Wynn believes that several former culinary and nightlife employees who jumped ship to Fontainebleau actively attempted to recruit former colleagues still employed at Wynn and some may have violated non-compete agreements with Wynn.
The report also notes there is no news at this time about Weitman moving to another casino or staying in the gaming industry following his June departure from Wynn Las Vegas. Anther local news source in Vegas (the LVRJ confirmed that Weitman gave no indication about his plans. Billings said once Weitman departs, a decision would be made about a successor. Chief Operating Officer Brian Gullbrants will handle the role in the interim. As noted above, Wynn Las Vegas filed a lawsuit against Fontainebleau in February accusing the new resort of poaching its executives. However, it does not appear Weitman is leaving for that resort.
Maurice Wooden, who served as Wynn Las Vegas’ president and principal executive officer between 2013 and 2019, was hired as Fontainebleau’s new Las Vegas president in January. Per another report, Wooden’s hiring comes at a pivotal time for the Strip’s newest integrated resort. Back in January, it was revealed that Vice President of Revenue Management Angie Dobney left her position at Fontainebleau, marking the fourth high-level executive departure at the property in a month. Before here, former COO Colleen Birch and CMO Snahe Smith tendered resignations earlier this month. VP of Casino Operations Michael Clifford left the new casino hotel on December 30th. Perhaps, the report notes, Wooden may serve as a steadying force during the tumult in Fontainebleau’s infancy.
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