Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood has named former Iowa casino exec, Bo Guidry, as its new president.

The Louisiana native will reportedly be responsible for the management and all operations of the flagship casino resort of Hard Rock International, which, on October 24, 2019, will debut its anxiously-awaited $1.5 billion expansion.

According to the official press release…

Guidry, who received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in 1986, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of New Orleans, replaces Auggie Cipollini, who has held the position since December 2016.

Cipollini spent over a decade as senior vice president of operations at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa before joining the Seminole Tribe of Florida-owned organization, which has now promoted him to the position of president of Seminole Hard Rock Support Services.

Guidry background:

Most recently, Guidry (pictured, right) served as senior vice president and general manager for Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino and Harrah’s Council Bluffs Hotel & Casino, where he was responsible for daily operations and strategic direction. He spent more than 10 years between the two Harrah’s properties located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which have a combined team of 1,200 employees and are now owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation.

Guidry also managed arena and convention center complex, Mid-America Center for the City of Council Bluffs, during that time.

Prior to that, he held the positions of vice president of operations and assistant general manager for what was at the time Harrah’s Casino St. Louis. And he also served as vice president of casino operations and vice president of food & beverage/hotel operations at the Maryland Heights, Missouri location.

Guidry kicked off his career in food and beverage services at the Hilton New Orleans and from there worked within the same vertical at casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Lake Tahoe, Nevada and at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

Florida mega-expansions:

In related news, grand opening dates were recently announced for the expansions of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

At a combined cost of $2.2 billion, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood will soak up $1.5 billion of that for its planned October 24, 2019, opening of the “world’s first guitar hotel and casino complex,” while its Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa counterpart will utilize more than $700 million for its expansion effort and scheduled October 3 opening.

Jobs and tourists:

Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming Chief Executive Officer, Jim Allen, refers to economic research that forecasts 19,000 direct and indirect jobs, including construction, resulting from the expansion projects.

According to the official blog, aggressive global marketing efforts for the expansions will attract “hundreds of thousands” of individuals who have never been to Florida, which will bolster the record-setting tourism results currently enjoyed by the south-easternmost U.S. state.