MGM COO and longstanding company veteran to retire

• Veteran of 30 years, Corey Sanders, now vacates the position of COO at MGM Resorts International
• Sanders has served in multiple roles and positions in the company, and he has been part of some of MGM Resorts International’s most significant accomplishments
• Sanders will continue to advise Bill Hornbuckle, the current CEO and President, through December 2026

MGM Resorts International will see one of its longest-standing company veterans, Chief Operating Officer Corey Sanders, step down from his role in the company come December 31, 2025.

Sanders has spent 30 years on the job, and his parting from the company will be gradual. After he relinquishes his duties at the end of the year, he will serve as an advisor to the company’s President and CEO through December 2026, the company said in a press release.

Sanders, a longstanding veteran with a proven track record

The news was commented on by Bill Hornbuckle, the current President and CEO, who hailed Sanders’ commitment to the company over the past three decades and called his leadership "foundational."

Sanders is largely credited with having played a decisive role in key moments for the company, including the acquisitions of Mirage Group and Mandalay Resort Group, key expansions, and more.

"More importantly, Corey helped us put all the different pieces together to create one company and one culture. As a leader and as a person, Corey understood the importance of caring for employees and treating people with respect. He will be deeply missed," Hornbuckle added.

Sanders’ credit and contributions to the company have not gone unnoticed by the company’s top brass, with Nevada Resort Association President and CEO, Virginia Valentine, similarly commenting on Sanders’ exit from one of the seminal companies in the sector.

The soon-to-exit COO is respected in the industry

"Through his decades of service at MGM Resorts and as a past chair of the Nevada Resort Association Board of Directors, he has helped strengthen Nevada’s tourism industry and set a high standard for collaboration and excellence," Valentine said.

Sanders’ experience at MGM Resorts International spans different departments and responsibilities.

For one, he served as COO for Core Brands, another division at MGM, he was VP of Operations for the MGM Mirage, and CFO for the MGM Grand Resorts, along with other key positions that have further burnished his credentials as a loyalist and a capable specialist.

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