Campbell leaves SkyCity Board after four years
SkyCity Entertainment Group Chairman Rob Campbell has announced his position from the company’s Board.
Gambling Insider reports that since being appointed as a SkyCity director in 2017 and moving to Chair of the Board in 2018, after four years in his role, he has decided to step down.
Campbell will go on to work on other commitments, including recently being appointed as new Chair of the Health NZ Interim Board and Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology.
SkyCity chief executive officer Michael Ahearne commented on Campbell’s retirement: “Rob has been an outstanding Chairman of SkyCity and has guided the group through some very challenging times, including the New Zealand International Convention Centre fire and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Rob has also been an instigator and champion of SkyCity’s sustainability, social responsibility and compliance improvement initiatives.
“He leaves SkyCity in a strong position with a refreshed Board, a financially resilient balance sheet and an experienced management team.”
Campbell’s departure follows many new changes for SkyCity, including the new appointment of New Zealand chief operating officer Callum Mallett.
SkyCity will now undertake a process to appoint a new Chair.
SkyCity pushes vaccination in NZ
SkyCity Entertainment Group chief executive Michael Ahearne said the company wants all of its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Our goal is to have 100 per cent of our employees vaccinated.
“In the past months, we’ve communicated about the benefits of getting vaccinated.”
About five weeks ago, staff were also invited to hear from University of Auckland microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles.
“We had a live question and answer session,” Ahearne said.
“The key messages were that the vaccine is safe and the only way people can protect themselves against COVID.
“She talked about the science and background and how vaccines are created.”
SkyCity outlines vaccination plan
But the company has gone even further and a spokesperson said SkyCity could be one of the first non-essential worker businesses to run a private vaccination session.
“To help us achieve this goal, this week we held a COVID-19 vaccination event in the SkyCity Auckland Theatre exclusively for our people and their bubbles,” Ahearne said.
Last Wednesday and Thursday, around 150 staff were vaccinated each day in the theatre and the aim was to vaccinate another 200 staff last Saturday.
The event is being run with Zoom Pharmacy, an accredited vaccination provider by the Auckland District Health Board.
A second event is planned for the end of October: “There will be a followup then for those who haven’t been vaccinated.”
Health and safety measures prescribed by the Ministry of Health ensure everyone’s safety,” Ahearne said.
“This follows a successful event run in partnership with Ngati Whatua Orakei which saw 65 of SkyCity’s employees from SkyCity’s Maori employee network register for vaccination at Ngati Whatua Orakei’s iwi-led vaccination centre in Tamaki Makurau,” the SkyCIty spokesperson said.
Ahearne said: “If you make it easy and convenient, people will get vaccinated. We pay people to have time off to be vaccinated. We have given petrol vouchers for people to drive in.”
The CEO is walking the talk: “I got the first vaccination in August at a drive-in centre in Auckland and the second at Mt Wellington two weeks ago.”
Asked about side effects: “Not a thing. It was very well run and organised. All the family is vaccinated, although a 14-year-old son is due his second shot in another fortnight.”
Ahearne said he did not know how many of the 4200 staff had been vaccinated due to privacy issues that were being worked through, but the hope is to keep a record.
“Our plan is to get everyone to provide proof of vaccine for our records.”
