MGM acting CEO: "We are resilient and I am confident we are up to this challenge"

Hornbuckle added that the hospitality industry will “likely change in the foreseeable future,” and decisions are being made to allow the company to have the “best resources” to operate successfully until it recovers.

2020-04-22

United States

Reading time 1:31 min

Hornbuckle told employees in a video recorded from his home that the company will be “operating differently” when its properties reopen and "what it means to provide good customer service will change."

The Acting CEO and President of MGM Resorts International, Bill Hornbuckle spoke to their employees in a video posted Tuesday, which he recorded from his home.

“The is a completely uncharted path,” Hornbuckle told employees “But we have to consider every aspect of our business so we can welcome our guests safely and keep each other safe while we do it.”

According to Hornbuckle, cleaning procedures, the way people greet guests, casino floor layouts and restaurants will all be impacted. However, he did not go into details on what those changes may entail.

Hornbuckle added that the hospitality industry will “likely change in the foreseeable future,” and these decisions are made to allow the company to have the “best resources” to operate successfully until it recovers.

In the meantime, Hornbuckle urged staff to stay at home and wear a mask if they do need to venture outside.

“It’s not easy to face a catastrophic and unprecedented event like this. It’s especially hard because the history of this pandemic has yet to be written,” he said. “The uncertainty of our own health of those, of our loved ones, looms large. Now is the time to gather all of our strength, to follow the public health guidelines, even when they are challenging.”

Hornbuckle also gave an update on MGM’s employee grant fund, which is supporting employees in financial hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic. The company has laid off and furloughed workers amid the crisis.

The fund has gathered more than $12.5 million, and has received more than 3,000 applications for assistance. Hornbuckle said the company is working “as quickly as (it) can” to help those who qualify.

Payments from the fund began two weeks ago, and Hornbuckle said hundreds of bills for employees and their families have been paid, with more on the way.

“This month alone we have paid out on behalf of our employees what we normally do in an entire year,” he said. “Our goal is to help as many of our colleagues as we possibly can through this crisis.”