Inside Asian Gaming

DECEMBER 2018 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 87 INDUSTRY PROFILE The big difference is the shift in gravity to Cotai. But take the casinos out of the equation and the place is still very similar. OG: Did you always have an interest in working in gaming? TR: No, never. But I was looking for a change in jobs and the job spec was a match, both in terms of the technical and people skills required. OG: You are now in your second stint in Macau. How did you end up here the first time? TR: The first time round, Aristocrat was just setting up their office here and I was asked to come up and help set up the technical and operations side of the business. OG: Was Macau different back then? TR: Back then, when I first arrived, Wynn was just opening, StarWorld was near completion and Sands was here of course, so the big difference is the shift in gravity to Cotai. But take the casinos out of the equation and the place is still very similar. OG: Why did you leave Macau back then? TR: There wasn’t any real reason for going, not one in particular anyway, but back in 2010 there were a lot of our friends leaving and our children were entering a critical part of their schooling, so it was almost a now or never situation to get back home and have them finish school in Australia. OG: And why did you return? TR: Well I never said never and I kept in contact with a lot of people up here. One of them was Ken Jolly, who I’d worked for back in the day. Every time I’d catch up with Ken he’d ask when I was ready