As it looks to expand into China, Europe and key gateway cities around the world, casino and hotel operator Hard Rock International has unveiled a pair of promotions as well as one key appointment.

Responsible for eleven casinos, 24 hotels, and 176 cafes, the Florida firm revealed that Jon Lucas has been promoted from his role as Hotel and Casino Operations Executive Vice-President to Chief Operating Officer and will now oversee all operations as well as the company’s marketing, legal, finance, design and construction departments.

Hard Rock International explained that Lucas originally joined its ranks in 2013 to serve as President for its Hard Rock Rocksino in Northfield Park, Ohio, after a six-year spell working as the President and General Manager for the IP Casino, Resort and Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was subsequently part of the team that helped the Orlando-based company to secure the casino and hotel rights for the western United States and international markets including Canada and will now report directly to Jim Allen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Hard Rock International.

Hard Rock International has also announced that Dale Hipsh is to serve as its new Senior Vice-President and stated that he will now have responsibility for overseeing its entire hotel portfolio. Previously the enterprise’s Hotel Operations Development Vice-President were helped to open twelve properties around the world, the experienced professional began his career with Hyatt Hotels Corporation and additionally had spells at Sun International and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

Finally, Hard Rock International has hired Sean Caffery as its Casino Development Senior Vice-President and he is now to work to locate new casino development locations, countries and partners with a particular focus on the Americas. Previously the Chief Executive Officer for the Seneca Nation of Indians’ Seneca Commission for Economic Development, he moreover spent four years at M&T Bank Corporation after a two-year spell with Osborne and Partners.

“As we continue to grow the Hard Rock International brand beyond our existing footprint, we look to Lucas, Hipsh and Caffery to lead the expansion process with exciting [and] new projects in the Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos pipeline such as Atlantic City, New York City, Shenzhen and London,” read a statement from Allen.