3 women eyed for Wynn Resorts board
Wynn Resorts plans to add three new directors to its board — all women — as it looks to move on from the Steve Wynn saga that has threatened to stain its reputation.
“This is the first step in our effort to refresh the Board,” said D. Boone Wayson, chairman of the Wynn Resorts board of directors. “We intend to add additional new directors in the coming months. The Board is committed to enhancing value for our shareholders, delivering superior experiences for customers and creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all of the company’s employees.”
The nominees, who must be approved by shareholders at the company’s annual meeting next month, include a Warner Bros. executive and a former executive at Walt Disney. Two of the nominees graduated from local colleges and universities. Betsy Atkins graduated from the University of Massachusetts and Wendy Webb from Smith College and Harvard University. The third nominee is former Clinton White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers. If approved, Wynn’s 11-member board would include four women.
“We are confident that their extensive and wide-ranging expertise will provide fresh and valuable perspectives to support the company’s leadership team and business strategy,” Wayson said.
The nomination of the new directors comes a day after Elaine Wynn, ex-wife of Steve Wynn, told the board she would advocate for a board overhaul that puts new, independent directors in the majority, and that she intended to nominate her own slate of board members.
Elaine Wynn is the company’s largest shareholder, holding just over 9 percent of the shares. She also said Wynn Resorts should refrain from making any significant decisions — including the sale of Wynn Boston Harbor — until a new board is in place.