Harrah's Names Leaders for Nevada Resorts

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. today announced the company is promoting three of its top Nevada executives to lead seven Harrah's resorts in Nevada.

Innovative gaming industry executive Don Marrandino, president of Harrah's Northern Nevada, was named president of Harrah's Las Vegas and Flamingo Las Vegas. Succeeding Marrandino as president, Northern Nevada Region, with responsibility for Harrah's, Harveys, and Bill's in Lake Tahoe, as well as Harrah's Reno, is John Koster, formerly senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's Laughlin. Wade Faul, currently assistant general manager for Flamingo Las Vegas, will lead Harrah's Laughlin as senior vice president and general manager. Each will be responsible for resort day-to-day operations, reporting to Tom Jenkin, president of Harrah's Western Division. These three executive promotions are subject to receipt of the customary regulatory approval.

"Harrah's is fortunate to have a deep pool of proven talent to step into leadership roles at these key Nevada properties," said Jenkin. "All three men have produced impressive results, in strong or challenging economic environments."

Prior to joining Harrah's, Marrandino was executive vice president and general manager for Wynn Las Vegas. Marrandino is best known for his tenure as president and chief operating officer for the Hard Rock Hotel/Casino, where he pioneered Gen-X marketing initiatives featuring ultra-nightclubs and celebrity chef restaurants. He also was instrumental in securing star entertainment headliners, including the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith. Before joining the Hard Rock, Marrandino was President of East Side Operations for Las Vegas-based Station Casinos. Prior to joining Station in 1995, he was General Manager of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Marrandino is a graduate of West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., where he received a bachelor of arts degree.

"Wherever he has worked, Don brought entertainment experiences that excite and engage guests," said Jenkin. "I can't think of a better spot for that kind of leadership than the bull's-eye of the Las Vegas Strip."

Koster has held a wide range of U.S.-based and international leadership positions in the hotel and gaming businesses. He was assistant general manager of Harrah's Laughlin from 2002 to 2004, and vice president of Hotel Operations for Harrah's Las Vegas from 1999 to 2002. Prior to joining Harrah's, Koster was president and chief operating officer of The Desert Inn in Las Vegas. Before taking the top position at The Desert Inn, he served as the property's vice president/general manager, Hotel Operations, from 1993 to 1997.

Koster worked for Sheraton and its parent companies for more than 17 years. Among his earlier positions, Koster was manager of the Sheraton Hong Kong and Towers, and he opened the luxurious Sheraton Grande Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand. Koster is a graduate of Duke University's Executive MBA Program and holds a bachelor of science degree in hotel and restaurant administration from Florida International University in Miami.

"John is one of this company's most admired executives," said Jenkin. "His team at Harrah's Laughlin consistently earned impressive customer service scores. We value these scores as highly as our brick and mortar assets. These customer services initiatives helped grow our business in Laughlin, and will be very important in the competitive Northern Nevada region."

A 20-year Harrah's executive, Wade Faul began his gaming hospitality career as a part-time dealer at Harrah's Las Vegas. He went on to hold various management positions in table games operations, including supervisor, assistant casino manager and casino manager. From 2001 to 2004, he led the table games department at the Rio, after which he was selected to lead the team that successfully re-opened Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas in early 2004. Following the expiration of Harrah's management contract at Binion's, Faul served as assistant general manager of Harrah's Las Vegas. Later, he was named Assistant General Manager of the Flamingo Las Vegas in June 2005. Faul has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of North Dakota.