William J. (Bill) Hornbuckle IV is CEO and President of MGM Resorts International, headquartered in Paradise, Nevada.
Hornbuckle grew up and attended college in Connecticut before leaving school to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. He moved to Las Vegas and completed his degree at UNLV. Hornbuckle has more than 30 years of experience working in Las Vegas which led to his current position for MGM Resorts International, one of the biggest companies in the hospitality and entertainment industry.
Hornbuckle was appointed as CEO on July 29, 2020, in addition to his existing responsibilities as MGM's president.[1] He had served as Acting CEO since March 2020, following the retirement of former CEO Jim Murren. He has served as President of MGM Resorts International since December 2012.
In 2012 and 2013, Hornbuckle led the company’s efforts to develop MGM Springfield, an $800 million resort in downtown Springfield, Mass. In 2014, he named Michael Mathis as his successor to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of MGM Springfield.[2]
He was previously Chief Marketing Officer of MGM Resorts from 2009 until 2012. From 2005 until August 2009, Hornbuckle served as President and COO of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. He previously had served as President and COO of MGM Resorts International-Europe, where he worked on the development of the company’s gaming operations in the United Kingdom. He also served as President and COO of MGM Grand Las Vegas.[3] Prior to MGM Grand, Hornbuckle served as President and COO for Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. He spent the majority of his career with Mirage Resorts in various senior management positions, including President and COO of Golden Nugget Laughlin in Laughlin, Nevada, Executive Vice President and COO of Treasure Island on the Las Vegas Strip, and Vice President of Hotel Operations for The Mirage, opening the hotel in 1989.[4]
Hornbuckle is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration.[5]
MGM Resorts International is a Paradise, Nevada based gaming, hospitality and entertainment company. It generated about $9.8 billion in 2013.[1] It owns and operates 15 properties in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan, and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, Illinois and Macau, China.[2][3]
The company began operations in 1987 as MGM Grand, Inc., and became MGM Mirage in 2000, after acquiring Mirage Resorts. In the mid-2000s, growth of its non-gaming (lodging, food, retail) revenue began to outpace gaming receipts and demand for high-rise condominiums was surging, with median property prices in Las Vegas twice the national average.[4][5] The company shifted its business model from fully owning and operating resorts and casinos, to being more real estate focused—launching the massive CityCenter mixed-use project.[6][7] However, the latter's development coincided with vast overbuilding on the Strip and a global financial crisis, causing large losses and writedowns in valuation.[8]
