MGM Resorts International
Leadership History
4 leaders · 1995 to present
William Hornbuckle is the CEO of MGM Resorts, in the role since 2020. The first chief executive was J. Terrence Lanni, from 1995.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Hornbuckle | Chief Executive Officer and President | 2020 | Present | 6 |
| Paul Salem | Chairman of the Board | 2020 | Present | 6 |
| Jim Murren | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 2008 | 2020 | 12 |
| J. Terrence Lanni | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 1995 | 2008 | 13 |
MGM Resorts International is one of the two largest casino operators on the Las Vegas Strip, alongside Caesars Entertainment. Its Strip portfolio includes Bellagio, ARIA, Vdara, MGM Grand, The Cosmopolitan, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Park MGM and Delano. Outside Las Vegas it runs regional U.S. casinos, holds a majority stake in Hong Kong-listed MGM China, co-owns BetMGM with Entain, and owns European online operator LeoVegas. The company is headquartered in Paradise, Nevada. The premier gaming and entertainment resort empire was founded in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1986 by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who transformed the Las Vegas Strip into a global capital of integrated megaresorts.
Chief Executive Officer and President
2020 – Present
6 years (current)
Shifted MGM to an asset-light model funded by real estate sales and large share buybacks.
Named acting CEO in March 2020 and permanent CEO later that year, Hornbuckle led MGM through the pandemic shutdown, the 2022 VICI sale-leaseback, the Cosmopolitan and LeoVegas acquisitions, the 2023 cyberattack, and the Osaka resort approval.
Chairman of the Board
2020 – Present
6 years (current)
Salem orchestrated a massive, highly strategic shift toward an 'asset-light' business model, ruthlessly selling off the physical real estate of iconic casinos (like the Bellagio and MGM Grand) to massive REITs while retaining the highly lucrative operating rights.
As Chairman of the Board (and a former senior Providence Equity executive), he guided MGM through the catastrophic, multi-billion dollar revenue collapse during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
2008 – 2020
12 years
Murren executed the absolute massive, multi-billion dollar construction of CityCenter in Las Vegas, managing to successfully complete the incredibly complex, highly indebted project during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis without bankrupting the company.
Serving as Chairman and CEO from 2008 to 2020, he aggressively modernized the Las Vegas Strip, shifting MGM's revenue away from purely gambling toward high-margin entertainment and luxury hospitality.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
1995 – 2008
13 years
Lanni joined MGM Grand in 1995 and led the purchases of Mirage Resorts in 2000 and Mandalay Resort Group in 2005.
He started the CityCenter project. Jim Murren succeeded him in 2008.
The biggest risk is that travel cycles, labor costs, gaming regulation, Macau volatility, or digital betting losses pressure returns at the same time.
Kirk Kerkorian (1917 to 2015) was a well-known Armenian-American billionaire investor and 'Father of the Megaresort.' Kerkorian built the world's largest resort three separate times: the International Hotel in 1969, the original MGM Grand in 1973, and the modern MGM Grand in 1993, creating the foundation of MGM Resorts International.
J. Terrence Lanni served as Chairman and CEO of MGM from 1995 to 2008, executing the two largest mega-mergers in casino history: acquiring Mirage Resorts from Steve Wynn for $6.4 billion in 2000 (adding Bellagio, Mirage, and Treasure Island) and acquiring Mandalay Resort Group for $7.9 billion in 2005, creating MGM Mirage.
Jim Murren served as Chairman and CEO through the 2008 financial crisis, completing the monumental $8.5 billion CityCenter project (ARIA, Vdara, Cosmopolitan corridor), founding BetMGM with Entain, championing sustainable solar energy, and initiating the company's lucrative asset-light real estate monetization strategy.
Since becoming CEO in March 2020, Bill Hornbuckle steered MGM through pandemic shutdowns, executed the $17.2B sale of MGM Growth Properties to VICI, acquired The Cosmopolitan for $1.6B, acquired LeoVegas to drive European digital expansion, and won the Osaka, Japan integrated resort concession.
Appointed acting CEO on the exact week Las Vegas casinos shut down due to COVID-19, Hornbuckle established the employee emergency relief grant fund, preserved liquidity, designed touchless casino floor safety protocols, and successfully reopened all 13 Strip properties ahead of competitor schedules.
Corey Sanders serves as Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts, having spent more than 25 years with the company. Sanders oversees day-to-day hospitality operations, gaming floor yield management, food and beverage profitability, and labor optimization across all domestic resorts.
Pansy Ho, daughter of well-known Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho, serves as Co-Chairperson and Managing Director of MGM China Holdings. Ho was instrumental in securing MGM's original Macau gaming concession and guides government relations and luxury entertainment development in Macau.
Following Kirk Kerkorian's estate sale of his controlling interest, MGM transitioned to an independent corporate board chaired by Paul Salem (Senior Managing Director Emeritus of Providence Equity Partners), adhering to strict NYSE and S&P 500 corporate governance best practices.
William "Bill" Hornbuckle serves as CEO, having risen through the hospitality ranks as an executive at Mirage and MGM. In September 2023, a sophisticated ransomware attack crippled MGM's keyless entry, reservation systems, and slot machines, causing over $100 million in EBITDAR losses. Hornbuckle refused to pay the extortion ransom, restored operational infrastructure with cybersecurity experts, and drove record subsequent quarterly revenues.
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