Mario Kontomerkos will step down as President and CEO of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment at the end of this month, the US tribal casino operator has announced.
According to a media statement published overnight (Asian time), Kontomerkos will end his tenure on 31 March 2021, with current Chief Operating Officer Ray Pineault to act as Interim CEO pending regulatory approval.
“During his tenure with the organization, first as Chief Financial Officer and more recently as CEO, Mario played a critical role in the growth and success of the organization,” said Chairman of the Mohegan Tribe, James Gessner, Jr.
“We thank Mario for his many years of service to the Tribe and MGE, more recently navigating the company successfully through the ongoing global pandemic as well as a major refinancing earlier this year. We wish Mario all the best in his future endeavors and opportunities.
“While we conduct a search for a new CEO, we are thankful for Tribal member and MGE COO Ray Pineault, who will assist as Interim CEO. Ray has served his Tribe for over two decades in various roles and capacities, and we look forward to his continued guidance and experience as we search for a new corporate leader.”
Kontomerkos, who replaced Bobby Soper as Mohegan CEO in October 2017, has been the driving force behind the company’s international expansion initiatives, including its South Korean project Inspire Korea in Incheon, due to open in 2022.
Mohegan has also partnered with Oshidori International Development for an IR bid in Nagasaki, Japan, and recently won the right to develop an IR in Greece called Inspire Athens.
While Kontomerkos is on the way out, it was announced on Wednesday that former Scientific Games Corp executive Carol Anderson will join Mohegan as its new Chief Financial Officer.