Crown Resorts has continued to execute on its rebuilding strategy, after the embattled operator confirmed that Craig Durham has been appointed as group secretary and legal counsel, with Anne Ward becoming new independent non-executive director to the board.
Subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, Durham will join the company on October 4, 2021, with Alan McGregor to continue as interim company secretary in the meantime.
Jane Halton, Crown’s interim chair, said: “Craig is an accomplished and experienced ASX listed company secretary, lawyer and governance professional with qualifications in Australia and the United States, and on behalf of the board of directors and management, we welcome Craig to Crown.”
Furthermore, Ward will also join the Crown board immediately, upon the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, as an independent non-executive director to the board.
Ward noted: “Crown has been an integral part of my home town Melbourne for many years and I am excited about the opportunity to make a contribution to the board as Crown shapes its future.
“I look forward to joining the board as an agent for positive change and I am committed to supporting management in implementing the reform program and driving value for shareholders.”
Ward is an experienced company director with expertise in business management, strategy, governance, risk and finance across sectors including financial services, technology, healthcare, government, education and tourism.
Based in Melbourne, she is currently chair of ASX-listed companies Redbubble and MNF Group and a council member at RMIT University. Previously she served as a commercial lawyer, with senior executive positions including general counsel for Australia and Asia at National Australia Bank and a partner at Minter Ellison.
Halton added: “I am pleased to welcome Anne as a director. Anne brings to the Crown board rich experience from her extensive board and executive careers. Her appointment further strengthens the mix of capability and experience as we continue the refresh of the board.”
Crown, which has lost the licence for its Sydney casino, is the subject of a formal enforcement investigation by AUSTRAC’s Enforcement Team into potential non-compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, with Royal Commission’s also established in Melbourne and Perth to determine the organisation’s operational suitability.