Las Vegas Sands (LVS) has announced the appointment of Microsoft Corporation’s Global Vice President, Yan Xuan, to its board of directors, effective immediately.
Although it didn’t offer any detail on Yan’s role or the reasons behind it, LVS pointed to his position as a senior executive with Microsoft in the Greater China Region and noted that he has previously held senior leadership positions in China with other global technology firms.
Yan’s appointment appears to be a strategic one, most likely to protect the company’s interests in Macau given ongoing concerns over the US-China trade war and the impending license re-tendering for Macau casino concessions in 2022.
Notably, trade tensions were front and center when Yan met with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in June.
CCIPT Chairman Gao Yan noted at the time that, “Microsoft’s achievements in China are a good example of dividends that the close cooperation between China and the US has brought to American companies including Microsoft.
“The trade friction provoked by the US will affect not only Chinese companies, but also the US ones. I hope Microsoft and other well-known US companies can spread their stories of successful development in China and work with CCPIT to promote the sound and stable development of the China-US economic and trade relations.”
LVS revealed it will pay Yan an annual retainer of US$150,000.
