Bill helped co-found the company with his father Sam Boyd back in 1975 and has been an indelible part of its mission to transform itself into the leading gaming and hospitality giant, succeeding in both over the past decades.
Bill Boyd Takes His Leave from the Company
Bill will now be granted the title of chairman emeritus, which is a laudatory status the company awards to its most prominent former members, but he will not have any executive powers or say-so in the company’s future affairs – at least not officially. Privately, Bill’s voice may continue to be heard.
Having brought Boyd Gaming to a good place, he is now exiting his role as co-executive chairman, with his colleague, Marianne Boyd Johnson, now stepping into the position full-time. Johnson is a trusted gaming industry expert and she has been part of the company’s board since 1990.
Johnson has been working on making Boyd what it is today, and she is generally perceived as an important part of the company’s strategy for success. As to Bill, he has been around for many years. He started out as a lawyer and focused on the gaming industry in 1975.
His father, who owned a California Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas then had an epiphany that with his son’s acumen and legal prowess, they could build an empire.
This much is known to have been true, as Boyd Gaming, which is based in Las Vegas, operates well beyond the silver state. The company owns 28 gaming properties across 10 states in the country, although admittedly – 11 are concentrated in their home state.
Boyd Gaming’s Strength Remains Unchallenged
Bill taking his leave from the board is hardly a reason for concern. Rather, Boyd is in a very good place and moving forward, the company expects to only strengthen its position. Presently, the company is led by Keith Smith, who has been chief executive officer since 2008.
Despite this major shift in the board’s makeup, analysts would still recommend Boyd Gaming as a buy stock. This is understandable as Bill’s exit is crowning a successful career and not indicative of internal company turmoil at the time. In fact, the company’s results are in a pretty good position.
Boyd Gaming recently unveiled a $500 million buy-back program, which is the third such initiative over the past several months, further demonstrating to investors that the company is in a very good position indeed.