Hard Rock makes key appointments to executive team

The current executive vice president of hotel & operations, Jon Lucas, will now serve as chief operating officer for Hard Rock International, overseeing Hard Rock International operations, as well as key company departments. Lucas will report directly to Chairman and CEO Jim Allen. 

Dale Hipsh, presently vice president of hotel operations development, has been promoted to senior vice president, overseeing the entire hotel portfolio for Hard Rock International and reporting to Jon Lucas.

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Sean Caffery, a new face to the brand, has joined the team as senior vice president casino development for Hard Rock International.

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He will report into Senior Vice President of Casino Development Jeff Hook.

"As we continue to grow the Hard Rock brand beyond our existing footprint, we look to Lucas, Hipsh and Caffery to lead the expansion process with exciting, new projects in the Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos pipeline, such as Atlantic City, New York City, Shenzhen and London," said Jim Allen, chairman and CEO of Hard Rock International.

Under Jon Lucas' leadership, the brand acquired the Hard Rock casino and hotel-rights in the western U.S., as well as key international markets, spearheaded casino entry into Canada and entered the hotel management sector. With these accomplishments under his belt, his new role will involve the oversight of operations, marketing, legal, finance, design and construction – all instrumental in the ongoing operations of the brand.

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Jon Lucas originally joined Hard Rock in 2013 as the president of the Hard Rock Rocksino in Northfield Park.

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He managed everything from site design and construction to the hiring and onboarding of key executives. During his tenure at the Rocksino, Lucas' efforts led to the venue quickly becoming a dominating market share leader in Ohio. Prior to joining Hard Rock, Lucas was the president and general manager of the IP Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi for six years.