MGM Resorts adds fourth woman to board of directors

MGM Resorts International appointed travel industry executive Jan Swartz to its board of directors amid growing scrutiny about board diversity in the United States.

The MGM board will now consist of 12 directors, including four women, above the national average.

Swartz oversees Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia for Carnival Corp., the world’s largest leisure travel company. She joined Princess Cruises in 2001.

Swartz helped the company set up Carnival Japan, a Tokyo based marketing unit, and oversaw the launch of the Majestic Princess, a cruise ship specifically developed for Chinese guests, MGM said in a statement.

MGM is seeking a gaming license in Japan and generates about a quarter of its revenue in Macau, China.

“Swartz’s vast experience in sales and marketing and international expansion will bring important insights to our business priorities,” MGM Chief Executive Officer Jim Murren said in the statement.

U.S. corporations have come under heat to diversity their boards, including boosting the number of women, amid the #metoo movement and allegations of sexual harassment at many companies, including most recently Wynn Resorts.

The boards of Las Vegas’ six largest gaming employers had just eight women among their 57 directors, and only two of the boards have female representation that is higher than the 21.2 percent average for S&P 500 companies, according to Catalyst, a nonprofit advocate for women in business.

Contact Todd Prince at 702 383-0386 or tprince@reviewjournal.com. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.