David Christian resigns as COO Australia of SkyCity Entertainment

David Christian has resigned from his role as COO Australia at SkyCity Entertainment following a career with the company that spanned almost 20 years.  

Christian joined the company in 2005 as the General Manager of SkyCity Hamilton, having previously spent over 20 years with the Federal Group in roles across various hotels, including Executive Assistant Manager, Resident Manager and Duty Manager before becoming the General Manager of Wrest Point Hotel Casino between 1999 and 2004. 

After a decade in various General Manager positions across SkyCity venues including Auckland and Adelaide Casino, Christian became the Group Gaming Consultant between October 2014 and August 2015. In June 2016, Christian returned to various General Manager positions across SkyCity’s casinos, before being appointed as COO Australia in February 2021.  

Avril Baynes has been appointed as Interim COO Australia, which will commence the day after Christian’s resignation. Baynes currently holds the role of General Manager Hospitality at SkyCity Adelaide, having taken up the role in November.  

On the appointment, SkyCity Interim CEO Callum Mallet said: “David has held a number of senior roles during his career with SkyCity since joining in 2005 and has led the SkyCity Adelaide business through a very challenging and demanding period, demonstrating strong leadership and resilience.” 

Julian Cook, SkyCity’s Board Chair, thanked Christian for his “tireless efforts and dedication” to the company.  

Christian’s departure follows several shifts within SkyCity’s executive team, with CEO Michael Ahearne announcing that he is stepping down from the role in October which was set to take effect in March. The operator also appointed a new Chief Information Officer, Andrew McPherson, last month.  

Stay updated with GI

Follow Gambling Insider for independent news, analysis and industry expertise.

Add as a preferred source on Google

Beth Turner

Gambling Writer

Beth Turner is a journalist and Senior Staff Writer at Players Publishing, where she contributes news and feature content to leading B2B gaming titles, including Gambling Insider, Gaming America, Sports Betting Focus and Trafficology. Based in the London area, she has been part of the editorial team since October 2023, progressing to Senior Staff Writer in February 2025.

In her role, Beth covers key developments within the global gambling and iGaming landscape, producing insightful reporting on regulatory shifts, operator strategy, sponsorship trends and emerging market activity.

Visit Profile