Vol. 4, No. 6, June 2007
RSS Feeds
Bayou Bound
Former head of Harrah’s Atlantic City properties returns to his company roots
Harrah’s Atlantic City operations became a 2006 tour stop for the high-flying executive, who left at year’s end to become the company’s Central Division president. Payne oversees nine properties in Louisiana, Mississippi and Indiana. In 12 short years, the Maryland native has become an elite player for the world’s largest gaming company.
Success required the circuitous route. For Harrah’s Entertainment, Payne was an assistant general manager in Kansas City, a senior VP and general manager in Lake Charles and New Orleans, then a regional president in Atlantic City.
The latest promotion was huge. It was a timely payoff for someone who accepts the industry’s sacrifice-reward structure. The company’s call spreads him throughout the country, where he contributes to significant developments. Katrina, for instance, made Atlantic City a time-period sandwich for him. Payne was in the Gulf Coast when Katrina struck. He came here to help implement Harrah’s expansion, then returned to New Orleans as a multi-property president.
“I loved my time in Atlantic City last year,” Payne says. “There’s a market that’s been up and running for over 25 years with so many experienced operators. I learned a lot about a market that changes constantly. When I came in, we were in the middle of some big developments. We had four properties with the challenge of how to position each one. It was important for certain customers to come to the Marina. Some of our customers liked the center Boardwalk. Showboat gave them the uptown market. With Caesars we were building on the brand and the Pier at Caesars was getting ready to open up.”
Payne enjoyed Longport living, the salt air, the beach and New Jersey pizza during the Atlantic City stint. He experienced a city boom some consider a once-in-50-years experience.
Atlantic City has been transformed, says Payne. Harrah’s and Borgata spend more than $1 billion both as competitors and architects of a new Marina district. Train service is improving. New Jersey Transit will soon launch a three-year experiment connecting Atlantic City with Penn Station in New York, funded by Caesars and Borgata. Shopping also has flourished. The Walk, the Quarter and the Pier at Caesars give the city a high-end appeal.
“Atlantic City has great leaders and operators,” Payne says. “It’s an exciting market to work in, with great potential for growth in the future. Atlantic City is going through an evolution as we speak and it will continue to become a regional destination.”
Payne found a big region to practice his executive craft in 2007. Company presidents proudly consider their profession a high calling. They direct the work force that breeds customer loyalty.
“What we do for a living is motivate, inspire and lead people,” Payne says. “If you want to be a part of management, you have to be a big believer in the balance of life. I have three young daughters, a wife, I play basketball, golf and work very hard in our business. This is quite an industry.
“I can’t think of a business that is more exciting than this one. One day you are involved in marketing, the next day it’s finance. Another day will have you involved in design and construction. I’ve had the opportunity to grow with eight different jobs in 12 years with Harrah’s. I have lived in seven different places.”
Payne’s journey encompassed the highs and lows of human conditions. While appreciating Atlantic City’s boom, he remembered Katrina’s devastation to a region and 9,000 employees. When an opportunity arose in the Gulf Coast, he returned.
“It’s rewarding to come back here,” Payne says from his New Orleans office. “There’s been a lot of recovery. We’re getting the word out that we’re back to work, that the city of New Orleans is moving forward and that we are continuing to attract people. The teams did a fantastic job running this property and bringing this area back.”
Payne is proud of the company’s strong role in the area’s revitalization. People have returned and New Orleans sports its first post-Katrina swagger.
In another gaming era, the rebound may not have worked. But the industry has grown from local ownership to corporate powerhouse.
“We’ve been able to witness the normalization of our industry,” Payne says. “Twelve years ago, when you mentioned that you work for a gaming company, there were a lot of unknowns about it. Now that normalization has spread throughout the United States. Properties are run by Fortune 500 companies now. We are viewed as a great industry. Take a look at the communities we operate in. The employment that we bring to those towns is extremely positive.”
That’s why Payne enjoys the career tour. He loves affecting the impact.
Where Are They Now? RSS 2.0 Feed
Where Are They Now? Podcast Feed
