Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Announces Resignation of Foxwoods Resort Casino President John O'Brien

MASHANTUCKET, Conn., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation today announced that John O'Brien, President of Foxwoods Resort Casino, has tendered his resignation, effective January 18, to pursue other interests.

Current Foxwoods Senior Vice President of Operations, Barry J. Cregan, 54, will serve as interim President of Foxwoods effective January 18. Mr. Cregan is currently responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Foxwoods as well as managing the growth and expansion projects underway at Foxwoods. He is also heavily involved with the pre-opening of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods scheduled for May 2008, working closely with Gillian Murphy, General Manager of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

With more than 25 years of experience in the hotel and gaming industries, Mr. Cregan brings a wealth of industry knowledge and business expertise to his new position, as well as strong management skills needed to guide the continued growth and success of the enterprise. Prior to Foxwoods, Mr. Cregan held senior management roles at Tishman Hotels, Marriott International, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Mr. Cregan also served as President and COO of Trump Plaza Casino Hotel Atlantic City from 1994 to 1998. Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Cregan will work together to ensure an orderly transition.

Tribal Council Chairman Michael J. Thomas stated: "During his tenure, John made significant contributions to the success of Foxwoods, particularly during his nine years as CFO. We wish him well in his future endeavors. As we enter an exciting phase at Foxwoods, we are fortunate to have someone with Barry's expertise and knowledge in the gaming and hospitality industry to fill the President position on an interim basis. Barry is a strong leader, focused on solid execution and delivering a positive customer experience."

"Foxwoods is a strong organization with a great brand and great prospects for growth. I welcome this opportunity to work with the leadership team during this transition to continue to implement our strategy during an exciting period," said Mr. Cregan.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation will begin a search among internal and external candidates for a President to lead Foxwoods during the next phase of expansion and growth.

"It is truly an exciting period for all of us associated with Foxwoods, which includes the opening of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods destination resort in May. We will continue to ensure that leadership is committed to creating a positive environment for all of its employees and focused on providing our customers with memorable experiences," said Patricia Irvin, CEO of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. "During this transition, the leadership team will continue to passionately pursue our performance objectives and make every effort to execute on our key initiatives effectively. We will begin immediately to conduct a search to fill the President position at Foxwoods."

"I've truly enjoyed serving as President of Foxwoods," Mr. O'Brien said. "With a solid strategy and a strong management team in place, it's the right time for me to move on to pursue other interests, including spending more time with my family. I wish Foxwoods and the Mashantucket Pequots continued success in the future."

About the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is located on its ancestral homelands in southeastern Connecticut, dating back hundreds of years. The modern Tribe is governed by a seven-person Tribal Council, including a chairman, vice chairman, secretary and treasurer. The government and its citizens own and operate several businesses, the largest of which is Foxwoods Resort Casino, which opened in 1992. The Tribal Nation opened an award-winning Native American museum, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, in 1998, and in 2005 opened 36 holes of championship golf at Lake of Isles in North Stonington, Conn.

Foxwoods Resort Casino is the largest resort casino in the world with entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping. Foxwoods (www.foxwoods.com) offers world-class gaming with 7,400 slot machines, 380 table games, the largest poker room on the East Coast, High Stakes Bingo and the Ultimate Racebook. The resort also features 55,000 square feet of superior meeting space. Restaurants, retail shops and nightclubs line the glass enclosed concourses and 1,400 luxury hotel rooms and suites await the leisure and business traveler. There is world- class entertainment in the unique and intimate Fox Theatre, and the resort has a nightclub and a Hard Rock Cafe.