Two More Women Join Board at Crown Resorts
Both woman will bring extensive experience to Aussie gambling giant.The Sydney Herald reports that Crown Resorts has appointed two more woman to its board of directors, bringing the total number to three. The appointments of Jane Halton, a former secretary of the federal Finance Department, and Toni Korsanos, the ex CFO of pokies group Aristocrat Leisure, come at a time when Crown Resorts is seeking to enhance the diversity of its Board.
Crown Resorts told the Australian stock market this week that Halton and Korsanos would be joining as non-executive directors. Halton will join the board as soon as regulatory approvals for her appointment are received, while Korsanos will join in March when she steps down as CFO and company secretary of the ASX-listed Aristocrat Leisure.
The news come at a time that Crown Resorts is facing controversies from all sides, including the arrest (and subsequent release) of several of its employees in China, accusations of tampering with slot machines on its casino floors and a slump in its share prices.
New Blood in Crown Resorts Board
Jane Halton worked for 33 years in the Canberra public service where she served in a number of high-ranking positions within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Finance Department and the Department of Health and Ageing. She went on to work as the director of ANZ Banking Group and for the law group, Clayton Utz. Halton eventually retired from the finance sphere last year.
Earlier this year, after an absence of 18 months, Crown Resort's largest shareholder, James Packer, returned to the company's board.
John Alexander, the executive chairman of Crown, expressed his delight at the two powerful women joining the board. The third woman on the board is former NSW Liberal Senator Helen Coonan.
Bringing Expertise to Crown Resorts
According to Alexander, the addition of Korsanos and Halton would enhance the expertise and diversity of the Crown board.
"Jane will bring extensive experience in finance, risk management, information technology, human resources and public policy," said Alexander. "Toni has extensive experience in the gaming industry and will bring experience in the areas of technology, finance, strategy, risk management and financial and regulatory compliance."