William Hornbuckle

Hornbuckle was born on a U.S. Air Force Base in Japan and grew up in Connecticut. To pursue a career in the hospitality industry, he moved to Las Vegas where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Hornbuckle discovered his interest in hospitality at age 18 while working as a bartender in Connecticut. After learning about the "hotel school" at UNLV, he drove across the country in a van with his friends to pursue a hospitality career. He started his career in Las Vegas as a room service attendant and busboy at the Jockey Club before being promoted to his first managerial role as an assistant hotel manager at the then Flamingo Hilton.

Hornbuckle went on to work at a variety of Las Vegas resorts before joining MGM. For many years he worked at the Golden Nugget. He was also on the opening team of The Mirage, which at the time was one of the world's largest hotels and Las Vegas' first integrated resort. As CEO, Hornbuckle also oversaw the $625 million refurbishment of Caesars Palace, one of the most notable properties on the Las Vegas strip.

Hornbuckle joined the MGM Resorts International team in 1998 as Executive Vice President of Operations at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, and half a year later he became Chief Operating Officer at the same property. He held that role until 2001. Throughout his two decades with MGM, he has worked in a number of roles including Chief Operating Officer of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, President of Design and Development and MGM Resorts' chief marketing officer. Under his leadership in that capacity, MGM Resorts created and launched its customer loyalty program, M Life Rewards. The program was later enhanced and became MGM Rewards to allow both gaming and non-gaming guests to earn credits towards rewards, including dining, entertainment, travel and hotel stays.

In 2019 he became Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts International. In these roles he led the development of MGM Resorts in National Harbor, Springfield, Macau, and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Hornbuckle was appointed as acting CEO in March 2020, immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic began. He immediately faced numerous challenges and led the company through the closure of operations, restricted re-openings and implementation of new health and safety measures. He was named CEO on July 29, 2020. He assumed this role from Jim Murren, who was Chairman & CEO from 2008 to 2020.

Hornbuckle has played a key role in expanding MGM Resorts' and Las Vegas' hotel, entertainment and sports betting attractions. In 2016, Hornbuckle was appointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval to the Clark County Stadium Authority Board, which developed the Las Vegas NFL Stadium Project as part of a successful effort to attract an NFL team, the Raiders, to Las Vegas. He also played a key role in bringing the WNBA team, the Aces, to Las Vegas in 2017. He was President of T-Mobile Arena, which became home to Las Vegas' first professional sports team, the NHL's Golden Knights.

Hornbuckle is leading MGM's expansion into Japan. The company was selected as the Osaka region's integrated resort partner for a $10 billion development that will be one of Japan's first integrated resorts. He is also leading MGM's expansion into iGaming and sports betting. BetMGM, the company's online gaming platform, is currently active in many jurisdictions where the activity is legal, and Hornbuckle is leading the company to invest in the continued growth of BetMGM and other global digital markets.

He also is a board member of MGM Resorts International and as co-chairman of MGM Grand Paradise SA.

Hornbuckle is married and has three children.