Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | May 2011 28 L awrence Ho and James Packer are the youngest heads of a Macau casino concessionaire. Even when their ages (34 and 43 respectively) are combined, the number still comes to less than the individual ages of two other gaming concession heads (Dr Stanley Ho and Dr Lui Chi Woo) and is tied with a third (Sheldon Adelson). Melco Crown Entertainment’s youth makes it innovative, according to 39-year-old Ted Chan, the company’s Co-COO, Gaming. “We are a very young company with young management. One of the characteristics of young people is we are not afraid to try new things.” Mr Chan was appointed to his current position in August last year, as part of Melco Crown Entertainment’s adoption of an innovative management structure. Rather than having a head at each of the company’s individual properties, two Co-COOs are given responsibility for group functions over all the company’s properties. Following the resignation of Greg Hawkins as President of Melco Crown Entertainment’s flagship City of Dreams on Cotai, Mr Chan was appointed head of gaming encompassing City of Dreams, Altira Macau and the Mocha Clubs slot venues, while Nick Naples was appointed Co-COO, Operations, with responsibility for all non- gaming operations across the group. Mr Chan comments that although such a management structuremay not be appropriate for all markets, inboomingMacau it makes absolute sense. “If you would like to capture and leverage the growth of this gaming market, and at the same time you’d like to deliver the best service to the right customer, I think it will be a better idea to let me, as the head of a gaming organisation, focus my job on riding the tide of the [gaming] market. At the same time, my partner, Nick Naples [Co-COO, Operations] will help us make sure our service and hardware is delivered to the highest quality. That’s unique to this organisation. “One should never say which organisation or management style is best. You cannot apply one management style to every organisation in the world. But I think it works best for this company, particularly at this time of the development of the market.” Although heading gaming over multiple properties does have its challenges, Mr Chan points out the new organisation structure makes it easier “to ensure our management philosophy cascades down the right channels to reach all levels.”He adds: “If it’s centralised and each function managed by one team, rather than a couple of teams, it’s more effective, not just in terms of saving costs, but also in terms of productivity.” Familiarity breeds revenue “The young and innovative culture of this company is bolstered by our understanding of the customer,” claims Mr Chan. “Because Lawrence Ho and the team are actually Chinese and we grew up Gaining Mass Ted Chan—Melco Crown Entertainment Co-Chief Operating Officer, Gaming—believes the company’s strengths in innovation and familiarity with its customers will help it stake a greater claim on Macau’s burgeoning mass market Talking Heads Innovation hub—the main casino floor at City of Dreams Ted Chan