CLAIMS TO FAME
- Go-to person for government relations at Wynn Macau since inception
If there has been one constant at Wynn Macau Ltd over the years, it is Linda Chen.
Joining the company in 2002, she was part of the company’s journey throughout the entire 20 years of its original casino concession and played a central role in ensuring it won another 10 years in late 2022.
Chen has proved herself to be flexible, having spent the majority of her career overseeing the company’s VIP gaming segment but successfully pivoting as the industry moved towards the mass market in recent years. The departure of several senior Wynn Macau Ltd executives last year, including Ian Michael Coughlan, also saw her step into an even more senior role, reporting directly to Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings.
Chen was also the obvious choice to be named Managing Director of Wynn’s local concession holding entity, satisfying a requirement under Macau’s new gaming law by which all such entities must nominate a Macau-based Managing Director who personally holds a 15% interest.
Although this 15% stake is nominal – providing no actual voting or economic power – it does indicate the central role Chen plays in the company’s future direction.
There are challenges afoot, however, with the company having lost some market share in 2024 amid a subdued summer season and a disappointing performance at peninsula property Wynn Macau. The next 18 months are sure to be telling.
For the full list of 2024 Asian Gaming Power 50 winners, click here.
