Operator News

Fontainebleau Las Vegas announces several executive promotions

By Phil - 9 April 2024

Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the 67-story resort and casino created by Fontainebleau Development, has announced the appointments of four key executives in its marketing and security divisions. Three appointments are in-house promotions on the heels of Fontainebleau Las Vegas’ globally celebrated grand opening in December 2023.

Kim Virtuoso has been promoted to Chief People Officer. Ms. Virtuoso joined Fontainebleau Las Vegas in 2022 and has been instrumental in the resort’s talent acquisition and culture building processes, including the recruitment of thousands of employees pre-opening – collectively known as MEMBERS. An HRCI-certified Senior Professional In Human Resources, Ms. Virtuoso brings more than a decade of visionary leadership and expertise to her role. She has previously served in HR executive roles on the Strip and is a respected instructor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Lori Kobashigawa has been elevated to Senior Vice President of Marketing and Innovation, a role in which she oversees all planning, development and execution of the resort’s marketing and branding, driving consumer demand and increasing sales through strategies, campaigns, and execution. Ms. Kobashigawa first joined the resort as Vice President of Digital, e-Commerce, and Innovation, bringing more than 20 years of digital marketing success to Fontainebleau Las Vegas. She is recognized as a leader in the loyalty, performance, and social media marketing sectors, by cultivating many first to-market campaigns and paid media tactics.

Mustafa Jamal has been named Senior Vice President of Security and Investigations, bringing 15 years of global expertise and experience to his role overseeing security strategy, including surveillance, investigations, compliance, risk assessment, emergency preparedness, and management of Fontainebleau Las Vegas security personnel. Mr. Jamal most recently served as Vice President of Security and Investigations for Baha Mar Resort and Casino in Nassau, Bahamas, overseeing a 2,200-room resort complex that employed more than 4,500 team members. He also previously spent nearly 10 years in resort security on the Las Vegas Strip.

Sheila Tuzon, previously Executive Director of Relationship Marketing, has been promoted to Vice President of Loyalty and Database Marketing. She spearheaded the Fontainebleau Rewards program and is responsible for all loyalty and customer relationship management strategy and execution, including all aspects of the direct marketing program and the implementation of the resort’s marketing automation technology. Ms. Tuzon joined Fontainebleau Las Vegas in December 2022, following a successful tenure in marketing operations at Amazon Web Services. A UNLV graduate, Ms. Tuzon has served in multiple marketing roles throughout her 15-plus year career on the Las Vegas Strip.

“As we expand our leadership team, we are incredibly proud to elevate Lori, Sheila, and Kim to their new, well-deserved roles, and we are equally grateful to add Mustafa’s expertise to our team,” says Fontainebleau Las Vegas President Maurice Wooden. “Leveraging diverse skill sets, placing key executives in pivotal roles, and elevating internal talent is paramount as we strive to create an unparalleled guest experience at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

“Notably, we want to congratulate our in-house executives for their incredible leadership and the roles they have played in developing a world-class culture and community within Fontainebleau Las Vegas. And with these newly appointed leaders in place, our resort continues to reach the next level of excellence and innovation.”

In other related news, lawyers representing Wynn Las Vegas have filed with a Clark County District Court judge to prevent Fontainebleau from tapping up its executives.

It claims Fontainebleau has continually contacted Wynn executives bound by noncompete clauses to try and convince them to switch to roles at the new resort.

“Fontainebleau has repeatedly interfered with, and attempted to interfere with, Wynn’s employment agreements,” the filing states. “Given its history, it is likely to continue to do so. For these reasons, Wynn asks this court to enjoin the Fontainebleau defendants from interfering with Wynn’s contractual relationships, including by soliciting third parties to break contractual agreements with Wynn or to refrain from entering into prospective contractual agreements with Wynn.”