CLAIMS TO FAME
- Succeeded legendary father Stanley Ho as chairman of SJM Holdings in June 2018
- Full sister of MGM’s Pansy Ho and Melco’s Lawrence Ho
Three years after opening into the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, SJM’s Grand Lisboa Palace is still struggling to live up to its US$5 billion price tag. Recent analyst commentary has suggested the Cotai property is unlikely to reach its 5% Macau market share target and may never achieve positive value creation, despite having finally turned EBITDA-positive in 2024.
But there have been signs of improvement. The staged opening of more facilities, including Palazzo Versace Hotel in March, have helped boost visitation enough to push the property’s market share north of the 2% mark, while SJM has flagged renewed focus on significantly improving the scope of its premium mass marketing team. Premium mass is, after all, the segment driving Macau’s strong post-COVID recovery.
For SJM Chairman Daisy Ho, there is still work to do, however. The company continues to be burdened by staff costs linked to the closure of many of its satellite properties over the past two years and is still playing catch-up to its peers given how late it was to the Cotai party.
The good news is that Ho has the experience and networks to resolve legacy challenges. And it doesn’t hurt that she remains in the inner circle of Macau’s business elite, as her presence at government-corporate events demonstrates.
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