Holly Gagnon

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

At MGM Mirage’s Gold Strike Casino, Gagnon led a major turnaround that included the full renovation of a 1,000-room hotel, successfully integrating the property into the MGM portfolio and increasing market share and operating margins.

Prior to this, at Harrah’s Entertainment, Gagnon was instrumental in multiple performance improvement and expansion projects, including the integration of major acquisitions like Horseshoe and Caesars.

Beyond this, as a CEO in tribal gaming, Gagnon has demonstrated an ability to modernise operations and drive growth, overseeing the revitalisation of Pearl River Resort (including the reopening and upgrade of the Golden Moon Casino) and later leading Seneca Gaming Corporation. 

EMPLOYMENT

Gagnon’s journey in gaming began in 1992 when she joined Foxwoods Resort Casino as Executive Director of Finance during a period of expansion. Over eight years, she held senior roles in finance, internal audit and IT, overseeing critical initiatives such as the implementation of the PeopleSoft Financial system, negotiating financial agreements and managing the casino’s first extensive IRS audit. 

In 2000, Gagnon joined Harrah’s Entertainment, quickly progressing through senior finance and operational roles across multiple jurisdictions, including Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi. During her six-year tenure, she led strategic planning efforts, managed major integrations and divestitures and executed performance improvement projects that helped redefine Harrah’s operational model during a period of growth and M&A activity. 

Continuing her ascent in the commercial casino sector, Gagnon became President of Gold Strike Casino with MGM Mirage from 2006 to 2008. Based in Tunica, Mississippi, she led the turnaround and integration of the recently acquired property into the MGM portfolio. Under her leadership, the property underwent a complete renovation of its 1,000+ room hotel, increased market share, improved operating margins and initiated process enhancements that improved margins and employee engagement. 

After briefly serving as an instructor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Isenberg School of Management from 2008 to 2010 – where she taught courses in casino management and probability – Gagnon returned to Caesars Entertainment as Divisional VP of Finance, Planning and Analysis in Atlantic City. There, she focused on cost structure optimisation, strategic planning and participated in development teams for emerging gaming jurisdictions in the eastern United States. 

In 2012, Gagnon transitioned into CEO-level roles within tribal gaming, beginning with the Pearl River Resort in Mississippi. As President and CEO of the resort, she spearheaded the reopening and modernisation of the Golden Moon Hotel and Casino and led strategic upgrades to the Silver Star property. Her leadership helped reinvigorate the resort’s competitive positioning and saw her develop a number of new employee wellness initiatives. 

Her success at Pearl River was followed by executive roles with Chumash Tribal Enterprises (2015–2017) and then Seneca Gaming Corporation (2017–2020), where she again served as CEO. In both posts, Gagnon brought her strategic vision to large-scale, tribally owned enterprises. 

Following this, Gagnon joined Bragg Gaming's Board of Directors as Lead Independent Director in May 2021 before ultimately being appointed as Chair of the Board in April 2025, succeeding CEO Matevž Mazij in the role. Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for Bragg as it continues to expand its global footprint. 

Commenting on Gagnon’s appointment to the role, Mazij stated: "Holly is an outstanding choice. Her wealth of gaming industry experience, strategic insights and passion for governance best practices will be tremendous assets as we continue to execute on our growth initiatives.”