Wynn Resorts has announced the appointment of three new independent directors which it says will diversify the gender, skills and experience of the board.
Betsy Atkins, Dee Dee Myers and Wendy Webbas were appointed following a “lengthy search” by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and officially approved at an in-person meeting in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Notably, the news comes just a day after the company’s largest shareholder, Elaine Wynn, wrote a letter to the board calling for current members to either step aside or welcome multiple newly elected directors to restore its reputation.
“I am focused on maximizing the value of the company,” Elaine Wynn said in her letter. “I am also the company’s co-founder, with an interest in fully restoring its reputation and in transforming it into a corporate governance leader.
“To achieve these goals, I believe that the company’s governance structure needs to be reformed and that the board of directors needs to be reconstituted. This should be done immediately and certainly before any material decisions are made that could affect the long-term interests of the shareholders.”
Wynn Resorts said that the appointment of Atkins, Myers and Webbas lifts its ratio of women on the board to 36%.
“We are pleased to welcome Betsy, Dee Dee and Wendy to the Wynn Resorts Board of Directors following a thorough search process that included input from shareholders and an independent executive search firm,” said D. Boone Wayson, Chairman of the Wynn Resorts Board of Directors. “We are confident that their extensive and wide-ranging expertize will provide fresh and valuable perspectives to support the company’s leadership team and business strategy.
“To be clear, this is the first step in our effort to refresh the board. We intend to add additional new directors in the coming months. The board is committed to enhancing value for our shareholders, delivering superior experiences for customers and creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all of the company’s employees.”
CEO Matt Maddox added, “These appointments signify a turning point for us and I look forward to working with each of our new directors as we usher in a new era at Wynn.”