Her appointment was announced on 29 September 2021, coinciding with the announcement of Craig Durham’s appointment as Group Company Secretary and Legal Counsel.
She was named to the company’s board in the wake of a mass exodus of Crown directors prompted by the Bergin Report, which found the operator unsuitable to hold its New South Wales licence.
Jane Halton was the only director to survive Crown’s leadership cull, and is now joined by Ward, whose appointment took effect on 13 January.
Ward has worked in various sectors, including financial services, technology, healthcare, government, education and tourism. She is currently the Chair of Australian Stock Exchange-listed companies Redbubble and MNF Group, and a Council Member at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
When her appointment was announced, Ward remarked: “Crown has been an integral part of my hometown Melbourne for many years, and I am excited about the opportunity to make a contribution to the board as Crown shapes its future.”
Crown’s statement announcing that Ward’s appointment has taken effect was accompanied by an initial director’s interest notice.
This news came shortly after Crown Resorts received a revised bid from US private equity firm Blackstone proposing an acquisition of all the Australian operator’s shares at a price of AU$13.10 (US$9.55) per share. Given this, Ward and her fellow directors will have a lot to consider in the coming days.