Star Entertainment Group announced that David Foster, the chairman of the board at Star Entertainment Group, has resigned. Board member Anne Ward will take over the position with immediate effect.
Ben Heap has been replaced by Foster as Chairman since December 2022. In August 2022, he joined the Star Board.
Foster spent over 25 years in the finance industry, and was CEO of Suncorp Bank for a time. Foster has also been on the boards of a variety of companies, including retail, finance, government, and education.
Foster will continue to serve as Star’s executive director for an indefinite period of time. Foster will continue to serve as director on the boards of subsidiary companies until other people can take over.
Ward is the new driver at Star
Ward was confirmed today as the new Star chairman, replacing Foster. Ward, who joined Star at the same moment as Foster, is the new chairman of the board.
Ward has worked previously in the areas of finance, banking and insurance, technology, health care, government, education tourism, entertainment, and tourism. Included are roles in business management, strategy and governance as well as risk, finance, and financial planning.
She has served on the Crown Resorts board between September 2021 to June 2022. Ward left her position following Blackstone’s takeover.
Ward has also served as chairman of Zoos Victoria and Qantas Superannuation. She was the founder of Fleixgroup, Symbio, and Fleixgroup. She is currently a board member of Articore and the non-profit Imaging Research, formerly known as Redbubble, a marketplace online for independent artists.
Star exodus continues as Second Bell investigation launches
Foster’s departure marks the second major departure from Star following the Second Bell investigation launched in February. The Bell Two inquiry, which is the successor to the notorious Bell Report and runs until the 31st May, has been titled Bell Two.
Star Sydney was found to have failed in its efforts against money laundering and social responsibility. The report recommended 30 improvements. A year after the publication of the report, it was revealed that Star Sydney had implemented 22 out of 30 recommendations.
Second inquiry focuses on Star’s culture and its effects from the Bell Report.
Star announced the departure of a number of senior personnel in the wake of the launch of the investigation.
Robbie Cooke, the former group CEO and managing Director of M&G Group, resigned last month. Christina Katsibouba will also be leaving her position as Chief Financial Officer.
Cooke became CEO of Star on November 20, 2022. Cooke became Star’s fourth chief executive in a year after Matt Bekier resigned from the company during The Star’s investigation into New South Wales, John O’Neill, and Geoff Hogg.
Foster, incidentally, took on extra duties as the executive chair during a search to find a new CEO.
Katsibouba is also leaving the company to pursue interests outside of it. Neale O’Connell, former Tatts Group Chief Financial Officer will take on this role as an interim.
Jessica Mellor, CEO of Star Gold Coast will be leaving Star in the same month. Jessica Mellor will leave officially on 24 May.
Mellor is only the CEO of Star Gold Coast, and has been since October 2018. She became the youngest CEO and first woman in Star Gold Coast’s history by taking up her role. She served as Star’s Chief Operating Officer for four and half years.
