Harrah's
Names Leaders for Nevada Resorts
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.
today announced the company is promoting three of
its top Nevada executives to lead seven Harrah's
resorts in Nevada.
Innovative gaming industry executive Don Marrandino,
president of Harrah's Northern Nevada, was named
president of Harrah's Las Vegas and Flamingo Las
Vegas. Succeeding Marrandino as president, Northern
Nevada Region, with responsibility for Harrah's,
Harveys, and Bill's in Lake Tahoe, as well as Harrah's
Reno, is John Koster, formerly senior vice president
and general manager of Harrah's Laughlin. Wade Faul,
currently assistant general manager for Flamingo
Las Vegas, will lead Harrah's Laughlin as senior
vice president and general manager. Each will be
responsible for resort day-to-day operations, reporting
to Tom Jenkin, president of Harrah's Western Division.
These three executive promotions are subject to
receipt of the customary regulatory approval.
"Harrah's is fortunate to have a deep pool
of proven talent to step into leadership roles at
these key Nevada properties," said Jenkin.
"All three men have produced impressive results,
in strong or challenging economic environments."
Prior to joining Harrah's, Marrandino was executive
vice president and general manager for Wynn Las
Vegas. Marrandino is best known for his tenure as
president and chief operating officer for the Hard
Rock Hotel/Casino, where he pioneered Gen-X marketing
initiatives featuring ultra-nightclubs and celebrity
chef restaurants. He also was instrumental in securing
star entertainment headliners, including the Rolling
Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith. Before
joining the Hard Rock, Marrandino was President
of East Side Operations for Las Vegas-based Station
Casinos. Prior to joining Station in 1995, he was
General Manager of the Rio All-Suite Hotel &
Casino in Las Vegas. Marrandino is a graduate of
West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., where
he received a bachelor of arts degree.
"Wherever he has worked, Don brought entertainment
experiences that excite and engage guests,"
said Jenkin. "I can't think of a better spot
for that kind of leadership than the bull's-eye
of the Las Vegas Strip."
Koster has held a wide range of U.S.-based and
international leadership positions in the hotel
and gaming businesses. He was assistant general
manager of Harrah's Laughlin from 2002 to 2004,
and vice president of Hotel Operations for Harrah's
Las Vegas from 1999 to 2002. Prior to joining Harrah's,
Koster was president and chief operating officer
of The Desert Inn in Las Vegas. Before taking the
top position at The Desert Inn, he served as the
property's vice president/general manager, Hotel
Operations, from 1993 to 1997.
Koster worked for Sheraton and its parent companies
for more than 17 years. Among his earlier positions,
Koster was manager of the Sheraton Hong Kong and
Towers, and he opened the luxurious Sheraton Grande
Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand. Koster
is a graduate of Duke University's Executive MBA
Program and holds a bachelor of science degree in
hotel and restaurant administration from Florida
International University in Miami.
"John is one of this company's most admired
executives," said Jenkin. "His team at
Harrah's Laughlin consistently earned impressive
customer service scores. We value these scores as
highly as our brick and mortar assets. These customer
services initiatives helped grow our business in
Laughlin, and will be very important in the competitive
Northern Nevada region."
A 20-year Harrah's executive, Wade Faul began his
gaming hospitality career as a part-time dealer
at Harrah's Las Vegas. He went on to hold various
management positions in table games operations,
including supervisor, assistant casino manager and
casino manager. From 2001 to 2004, he led the table
games department at the Rio, after which he was
selected to lead the team that successfully re-opened
Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas in early
2004. Following the expiration of Harrah's management
contract at Binion's, Faul served as assistant general
manager of Harrah's Las Vegas. Later, he was named
Assistant General Manager of the Flamingo Las Vegas
in June 2005. Faul has a bachelor of arts degree
from the University of North Dakota.
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