Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) announced the newest member of its executive leadership team to further sustain and enhance the organization’s positive performance and guide MGE through unprecedented times. Ray Pineault, who is also a Mohegan Tribal member, has been named chief operating officer (COO) of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, pending regulatory approval.

“On behalf of the Tribal Council, we are so proud of tribal member Ray Pineault for his promotion to chief operating officer for MGE,” said James Gessner, Jr., chairman of the Mohegan Tribe and of MGE. “Ray has served his Tribe for nearly 20 years in various roles beginning in the Tribe’s Legal Department to most recently serving as regional president for MGE. We are thrilled to have him take on this critical role in such an extremely important time. In his new position, Ray will not just apply the depth of knowledge he has about our operations and the industry as a whole, but also share and apply the core philosophies of Mohegan to all MGE projects at home on the reservation, as well as across the globe at our nine properties.”

“The entertainment industry has faced challenges this year due to the pandemic, but I am proud of the way our team members have stepped up and set MGE on a path of positive momentum, with strong performance across all properties since our reopenings,” said Mario Kontomerkos, CEO and president of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment. “From the beginning, it has been our mission to build the best executive team in the industry, and I believe we are on our way to achieving that status with a veteran like Ray at the helm.”

Nearing 20 years of service to the Mohegan Tribe including serving as president and general manager of the brand’s flagship property, Mohegan Sun Connecticut, and most recently as Regional President of MGE, Ray Pineault brings a wealth of legal and business knowledge with him to the role of COO. In this role, Pineault will oversee MGE’s regional presidents to ensure the operational success of each of the nine properties in MGE’s portfolio in the US, Canada and South Korea.

As COO, Pineault will ensure that each of MGE’s properties around the world meets or exceeds operational, employee engagement, guest service, cultural, strategic and fiscal plans, while maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance. He fills the COO position previously held by Michael Silberling who vacated the position in July.