Seasoned MGM Resorts Executive Is Named New President and COO of MGM Grand Detroit

September 8, 2016
Native Michigander Michael Neubecker to lead Detroit resort

LAS VEGAS AND DETROIT,  Sept 8, 2016 – MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) has promoted longtime MGM Resorts executive Michael Neubecker to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM Grand Detroit.

Mr. Neubecker replaced previous MGM Grand Detroit President and COO Steven Zanella, subject to approval by gaming regulators.

Mr. Zanella has been promoted to President of Core Properties, a new position overseeing operations at five of the company’s major Las Vegas resorts, including Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Luxor Hotel and Casino, Excalibur Hotel & Casino and Circus Circus Las Vegas. In this executive leadership role, Mr. Zanella will manage development initiatives and the synchronization and strategic alignment of corporate initiatives.

“Steve is a true hospitality talent, and Mike is uniquely qualified to fill this very important position at our market-leading property,” said Corey Sanders, Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts.  “Mike has a long history of success working at MGM Grand Detroit and our other properties.  He was born in Michigan, is a graduate of Central Michigan University, and has strong links to the community, including family and friends.”

Since 2008, Mr. Neubecker has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  Previously at MGM Grand Detroit, he served as Executive Director of Finance, Assistant Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. He was a key member of the project team responsible for planning and building the permanent facility for MGM Grand Detroit, which opened in 2007.

During the 1990s, Mr. Neubecker was Director of Finance, Construction Controller and Senior Accountant at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

He was born and raised in Clare, Mich.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University.

Mr. Zanella took the reins of MGM Grand Detroit in 2010 as General Manager, and was later promoted to President & COO of the property.  

A veteran of the hospitality industry with more than 20 years of experience, he joined the Company in 1991 as a participant in the Management Associate Program, a hands-on training curriculum for college graduates.

After two years in finance-related positions, Mr. Zanella was promoted to Domestic Marketing Administrator for Table Games Marketing at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. From there, he traveled to Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss. to serve as Director of Slot Marketing and Player Development. Mr. Zanella was promoted to Vice President of Slot Operations at Beau Rivage two years later, before returning to Las Vegas in 2001.

Upon his return to Las Vegas, he held the positions of Vice President of Slot Operations, Vice President of Slots and Entertainment, and Senior Vice President of Marketing for MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Mr. Zanella was born and raised in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  He earned his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business in 2014.

ABOUT MGM GRAND DETROIT

The only Forbes Four-Star hotel in Detroit with the only Forbes Four-Star spa in Michigan, the AAA Four Diamond Award-winning MGM Grand Detroit is the city's first and only downtown hotel, gaming and entertainment destination built from the ground up. The hotel features 400 chic and stylish guest rooms, including nine rooftop VIP suites and 56 opulent corner suites. Guests enjoy signature restaurants; two by world-renowned chef Wolfgang Puck as well as the hotel’s own sports pub, TAP at MGM Grand Detroit; casual dining options; lounges; high-energy nightlife; and the only resort-style spa in Southeast Michigan. More than 30,000 square feet of meeting space hosts everything from large corporate events to intimate black-tie affairs. For more information, visit mgmgranddetroit.com or call toll free at (877) 888-2121

ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company is in the process of developing MGM National Harbor in Maryland and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. MGM Resorts controls and holds a 76 percent economic interest in the operating partnership of MGM Growth Properties LLC (NYSE: MGP), a premier triple-net lease real estate investment trust engaged in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of large-scale destination entertainment and leisure resorts. The Company also owns 56 percent of MGM China Holdings Limited (HK: 2282), which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino and is developing a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50 percent of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA Resort & Casino. MGM Resorts is named among FORTUNE® Magazine's 2016 list of World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

Media Contact

Yvette Monet, MGM Resorts International Corporate Communications

702.692.6800, or ymonet@mgmresorts.com