Just 14 months after taking the helm of Great Canadian Gaming Corp, Tony Rodio is stepping down. Rodio announced his retirement this week after being appointed to the post in September 2021 after Apollo Funds completed its acquisition of the company. Prior to taking the job, Rodio served as the CEO of Caesars Entertainment from May 2019 through the completion of the Eldorado merger, at which point Eldorado CEO Tom Reeg became acting CEO for the new company.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, the management team, and Great Canadian’s team members, we want to thank Tony for his outstanding leadership,” said Alex van Hoek, Chairperson of the Board of Great Canadian and Partner at Apollo. “Tony has guided the company through a transformative period of recovery and growth, while navigating the industry-wide challenges of COVID-19. His contributions to Great Canadian will be valued by the Company, our team members and our guests for many years to come.”
Great Canadian COO Matthew Anfinson will take over the helm as CEO. Like Rodio, he spent several years at Caesars Entertainment before moving over to Great Canadian at the end of 2019.
“We are also pleased to name Matthew as CEO, whom we are excited to have lead Great Canadian in its next chapter,” van Hoek added. “Matthew is a North American leader in our industry with a deep understanding of the business. He has been responsible for driving top-line growth across all 25 of our properties and has held leadership roles in operations, marketing and analytics.”
“It is an enormous privilege to lead Great Canadian Entertainment, especially at this defining juncture of the Company as we set a new industry standard for gaming and entertainment in Canada. We are incredibly excited to bring to market what will be among the premier casino resorts in North America in 2023 with the projects currently underway at Pickering Casino Resort and Casino Woodbine, as well as new innovative programs and initiatives that will drive growth at our other properties and in local communities across the country,” stated Anfinson. “We remain focused on continuously enhancing the overall experience for our guests, delivering long-term growth and value creation for our stakeholders, and doing so in a socially responsible way.”
The company also plans to bring on Jordan Banks as the company’s first-ever Executive Chairperson. The former President of Rogers Sports and Media will help with the company’s sports betting push.
