Craig Billings

Those who know Craig Billings only by his job title are probably quick to assume that he had his career mapped out at a young age, and that his path to success was as he expected.

This, after all, is the template for becoming CEO of a Fortune 500 company … right?

Not necessarily — and certainly not in Billings’ case.

Growing up in a single-parent household on the southeast side of the Las Vegas Valley, Billings didn’t necessarily envision that he would someday be in charge of one of the world’s largest hotel-casino corporations. 

That’s because the CEO of Wynn Resorts — a position Billings has held since 2022 —  never attended private school. Nor was he valedictorian of his high school. And while Billings did enroll at UNLV after getting his high school diploma, he pressed pause after one semester.

The reason? He needed to work. Which he did for the next 2½ years, taking on various blue-collar jobs.

After saving some money and realizing he needed to continue his education, Billings resumed his studies in 1994, choosing to return to UNLV for practical reasons: “I could afford it.”

A strong mathematical background sent Billings in the direction of what is now Lee Business School — and, specifically, the accounting program. For the next 3½ years, as he juggled school and work, Billings finally began mapping out that career plan.

After earning his accounting degree, Billings accepted a job as a junior auditor at the Las Vegas office of what was then called Deloitte & Touche.

While at Deloitte, Billings got his first taste of the gaming industry and eventually rose to the position of audit manager. He also realized that, to reach the next step in his career, he needed to return to school. So in 2001, Billings secured “a mountain of student loans,” headed east, and enrolled in Columbia Business School to pursue an MBA in finance.

Given that many students at the Ivy League school arrive with undergraduate degrees from elite universities, Billings initially wondered if the school that he attended purely out of convenience had adequately prepped him for the challenge.

It didn’t take long for any doubt to evaporate.

“I quickly realized, ‘I’m super competitive against these people,’” Billings says. “I felt incredibly well-prepared. And, somewhat retrospectively, I gained great appreciation for the education I received at UNLV.”

That appreciation has shown itself in the various ways that Billings has supported his alma mater throughout a professional career that has seen him hold executive positions at such notable companies as Goldman Sachs, International Game Technology, and Aristocrat prior to landing at Wynn Resorts in 2017 as chief financial officer. 

For instance, in addition to philanthropic contributions to UNLV, Billings occasionally returns to campus and shares his knowledge with Lee Business School students as a guest speaker.

Also, in the wake of the Dec. 6 on-campus shooting, Wynn Resorts — under Billings’ leadership — agreed to host the families of hospitalized victims.

In the broader community, Billings has served as vice chair and chair of the Nevada State Economic Forum, and in 2019, he was presented with the Las Vegas Citizen of the Month award.

Then there was this recent pay-it-forward gesture: Earlier this year, Billings was invited back to Valley High School, where he shared his nontraditional story and encouraged students not to shortchange their potential. 

“No matter if you’re younger or older, it can be difficult when you’re not able to fully visualize your future,” Billing says. “I have learned over time that if you’re in such a situation, the best thing to do is identify the next best move and aggressively attack it. And then the next best move begets the next best move, which begets the next best move. It’s like climbing a mountain with a very windy path.

“But if you stay focused on that next best move, you will open a whole new set of options for yourself.”

That includes options that might seem unfathomable — like being a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

When did you know you wanted to pursue an accounting degree?

I had always been strong in mathematics. So, the entire curriculum — from accounting to finance and economics — played to my strengths and provided me with skills that I felt would be tangible in my career. And, they certainly have been.

You’ve worked primarily in gaming throughout your professional career. What about the industry appealed (and continues to appeal) to you?

If you look back to the 1980s, the gaming industry was essentially Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Since then, we have seen a massive wave of expansion, ranging from regional U.S. casinos to the rise of Macau and Singapore to the onset of online gaming and now the industry’s expansion into the Middle East.

Anytime you have rapid expansion like that, important decisions need to be made — decisions that will make or break companies. And, often those decisions are not clear in the moment. I have always been drawn to ambiguous challenges like that — taking a complex opportunity or problem and breaking it down into pieces in order to solve it.

I have been fortunate during the time I have been in the gaming business that the industry has provided plenty of opportunities to do exactly that.

When people hear “CEO of Wynn Resorts” their first thought is probably “What a glamorous job!” rather than “What a difficult job!” What are some of your biggest day-to-day challenges, and how did your UNLV education prepare you to meet those challenges?

First of all, I am blessed to be part of the best team — by far — in the industry. The folks at Wynn Resorts, from design and development to operations, are the best in the business, and I appreciate every single one of them. It’s because of them that I enjoy my role so much.

Of course, running any large company comes with challenges, and those challenges are often varied and unexpected. In handling these challenges, I draw on a number of different management frameworks that I have accumulated over the years, including the fundamental management and finance skills I learned at UNLV.

What is one life lesson you learned as a UNLV student that has served you well in your career?

I met so many great professors and fellow students at UNLV, both inside and outside the classroom. And, because I threw myself into my undergraduate experience, I really got to know them. Those relationships taught me a lot about people from all walks of life and helped me, in turn, relate to other people later in my career. 

This proved invaluable, particularly as I grew into management.

A recent UNLV business graduate who is about to embark on their career approaches you and asks for one “must do” and one “must don’t.” What’s your response?

Must do: Just because you have your undergraduate degree does not mean you can stop learning. You must continue to create optionality for yourself, and that optionality comes with learning. And, it doesn’t always have to be in a structured environment. To this day, I read or listen to audiobooks or podcasts on every car ride and every plane trip. I am constantly eager to learn new things, and that learning creates more options for me to advance myself and my career.

As for what not to do: Don’t let complacency and fear of risk create inertia. Eventually, you will run across career opportunities that feel risky — maybe even a little too risky. You should take some of them.

Twice in my career, I have taken a pay cut —  one of which was very significant — to take on a new role because I knew it would advance my career in the long run. Also, I have moved all over the world for my career, and done so multiple times, because I knew those moves would create more optionality for me later. So, do not fear risk.