Julie Amey resigned as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), SkyCity Entertainment Group, an Australasian Casino operator.
Amey is expected to continue in her role as SkyCity’s CFO for another six months. She will officially step down from the position on September 25. Amey has been in this role for just over three years.
Amey joined SkyCity’s gambling division in May of 2021. This is his first position in the industry.
She worked in oil and gas, mostly within the Shell Group, before joining SkyCity. Before joining SkyCity, she was vice president of finance at Shell Development Australia.
She held the same position at Qatar Shell, and also spent some time as CFO for Shell & Turcas Petrol. She also worked as Shell’s business finance manager in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
SkyCity has not disclosed the reason for Amey’s resignation.
Callum Mallet, interim CEO of SkyCity said: “Julie was responsible for SkyCity’s financial management and oversaw the capital markets and internal assurance function during a complex and challenging period.”
She has been an invaluable member of our senior leadership team and worked hard since her arrival.
Julian Cook, SkyCity’s chairperson, added that “We wish Julie all the best in her future endeavors.”
A senior manager departure
Amey has been the most recent departure of the SkyCity Senior Management Team. Several other changes have also recently been made.
SkyCity made the announcement in October that Michael Ahearne would be stepping down as CEO. Ahearne left the company this month. Mallet took over the role of interim CEO while SkyCity searches for a permanent successor.
Brad Burnett, SkyCity’s interim replacement for Mallet who was chief operating officer of New Zealand at the time, is Brad Burnett. Burnett had previously been the general manager of table games for SkyCity’s Auckland location.
SkyCity named Andrew McPherson, Chief Information Officer on a permanent basis last week. Since November, he had served in this role as an interim.
SkyCity faces civil penalty action
SkyCity is facing a difficult time with the changes to its senior management. The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs announced last month that it would file civil penalties in the High Court against SkyCity Casino Management and the operator.
It relates to SCML allegedly not complying with New Zealand’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 Should the claim be accepted – in whole or partly – SCML could be ordered to pay a penalty of up to NZ$8.0m (PS3.8m/EUR4.4m/US$4.8m).
The draft pleadings include five “significant” issues of compliance with the Act. SkyCity stated that these are mainly historical issues, and some were self-reported by SkyCity to the Department.
SCML is the license holder for SkyCity’s land-based casino in Auckland, Hamilton, and Queensland. SkyCity has said that it will be working with the Department to resolve any problems.
SkyCity is not the only place to be!
SkyCity is also concerned about regulatory issues in Australia.
The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre will launch federal proceedings in 2022 against SkyCity for failings to combat money laundering at SkyCity Adelaide.
SkyCity launched in May 2023 a review of its anti-terrorist funding and anti-money-laundering programmes. It also set aside AU$45m in August to cover a civil penalty that Austrac had imposed.
SkyCity warned that its adjusted EBITDA in 2024 could be lower than it had previously anticipated, even though they said earlier that the company expected an upward trend.
