In this edition of the Industry Insider, we spoke with Stacie Michaels, Chief Administrative Officer at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, on her journey from law to gaming leadership, the importance of keeping people at the center of an evolving industry, and the skills and perspectives that will shape the next generation of gaming leaders.

Tell us a little about your journey in the gaming and hospitality industry. What experiences have most shaped the leader you are today?

My path into this industry started in law. I graduated in the top two percent of my class at New York Law School, Magna Cum Laude, and served as Symposia Editor of the Law Review and a John Marshall Harlan Scholar. When I came to Las Vegas to practice, I was not necessarily planning on a career in gaming. I started out in a law firm before a chance encounter with Kim Sinatra ultimately led me to Wynn Las Vegas where I started out as Corporate Counsel and spent a decade working my way up to Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, overseeing all day-to-day legal matters for both Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas along the way. The decade I spent working there taught me most of what I know about this business: gaming law isn't just regulatory work, it is business strategy, people strategy, and reputation management all at once.

In 2022, I joined Fontainebleau Las Vegas as General Counsel, and within a year I was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer role. In that time, I had the experience of a lifetime helping bring to life one of the most ambitious luxury resort projects the Strip has seen in twenty years. I served as lead counsel on our licensing application and helped secure a unanimous recommendation for approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which cleared our path to opening on December 13, 2023.

The experiences that shaped me most were not always high-profile. Co-chairing the Wynn Women's Leadership Forum taught me that leadership is not about your own advancement; it's about building the ladder for the people coming up behind you. This industry is small and ultimately a people-first business. The relationships you build and the way you treat people along the way matter just as much as the work you do.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, what do you think the next generation of gaming leadership will look like? What skills or perspectives will be most important?

The obvious answer here is technology. AI is growing faster than almost anything I have seen in my career, and I absolutely believe leaders need to take the initiative now to learn these new tools and figure out how to integrate them with their teams, rather than waiting for someone else to do it for them.

However, I really think a key piece of advice I could give the next generation of gaming leaders is to have a well-rounded knowledge of how the business actually operates, not just deep expertise in their own lane. Everything in this industry is interconnected. A contract only truly serves the business if you understand what the business needs, not just what's on paper. And with these new technologies continuously emerging, the best way to implement and utilize them to their fullest capabilities is through an intrinsic understanding of the business as a whole, and how this new technology will help empower yourself and your team to make a true impact.

Today's gaming leaders are navigating everything from new technologies and changing guest expectations to workforce transformation. How do you approach leading through that kind of change while keeping people at the center?

I remind myself and my team that we are a hospitality-driven business. Technology advancements are meant to empower our workforce and enhance our ability to meet the needs of our guests and the expectations of today's world. Some guests want a fully digital experience, and others want a human touch. Part of leading well is being attuned enough to meet people, guests and employees alike, where they want to be met, rather than assuming one approach fits everyone.

Internally, that means transparency. When we roll out new technology, I think it's essential to be honest with our workforce about its purpose and its limits: what it can do and what it can't. Change like that can understandably spark fear, as leaders, it is our job to have open communication with our teams, so they do not fear the change, but rather, embrace it. Reassuring them and communicating clearly and often is the most important thing a leader can do in moments of transformation. Communication really is the key to it all.

When you look at the next five to ten years, what changes or opportunities are you most excited about for the gaming industry?

I am extremely excited about what's happening right in Las Vegas right now. Here on the north end of the Strip, Fontainebleau Las Vegas has been part of revitalizing this corridor, re-introducing luxury into the market. With projects like the A's baseball stadium and the resort complex being built around it, and Hard Rock bringing their iconic brand back to the Las Vegas Strip, I believe we are going to see the kind of growth as an industry as a whole where a high tide truly lifts all boats. It's rare to get to be part of reshaping a stretch of the Strip in real time, and I believe that in the next decade, there is going to be remarkable growth and success for the whole industry, not just any one property.

For emerging professionals who aspire to leadership roles in gaming, what advice would you give them as they build their careers?

Build your network and build it positively. This industry is smaller than people expect, and you never know who you will end up working with down the road. My advice is simple: never burn a bridge. The way you treat people early in your career has a way of following you, in the best possible way, for decades.

I also encourage emerging leaders to understand the roots of this industry, how we got here, while still looking forward to new ideas and opportunities. Don't just operate in your own bubble. Knowledge sharing is good for everyone, and some of the best career growth comes from learning outside your own lane rather than just climbing within it. Find ways to pay that forward once you have learned it. Mentorship isn't a side project; it is part of the job for all successful leaders.