2008 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven Leader
Cynthia Kiser Murphey
President and COO
New York-New York Hotel & Casino
Cynthia Kiser Murphey could certainly be described as active: active in her work, community and personal life.
Twenty years ago, she was a guiding force in the opening of The Mirage, known as the original Vegas “mega-resort.” She describes opening The Mirage as very, very exciting and a huge change for the industry as the turning point for creating full-service casino entertainment resorts.
She later opened MGM Grand Las Vegas in 1993. “After The Mirage, I was given the opportunity to open the MGM as the vice president of human resources,” she said. “My career has been highlighted by opening mega-resorts and developing the people-strategy planning and the systems for opening.”
One of the biggest challenges she faced was creating a personalized experience inside the large resort. “We didn’t want customers to think of our buildings as big,” she recalled. “We want them to think about fun and personalized service, and our employees focused on their needs. We worked to create an inviting atmosphere.”
Acknowledging her hard work and dedication, she was named “Executive of the Year” by Human Resources Executive magazine during her tenure as senior vice president of human resources for MGM MIRAGE, the parent company of both MGM Grand and The Mirage.
But it is her alma mater—the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)—where Kiser Murphey gives credit to her start in the industry. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UNLV, where she also taught part-time, and was ultimately honored as Alumna of the Year in 2008.
“Initially, I moved to Las Vegas from Kansas to study the hotel restaurant industry, and because gaming is so dynamic and evolving and developing in great ways, this industry has provided unique and exciting career opportunities,” she said.
Perhaps one of Kiser Murphey’s greatest feats was establishing a Healthy Living program for the employees of MGM MIRAGE. The program focuses on trends around cancer, heart disease, diabetes and looks at preventative measures, early detection and education. “I’m extremely passionate about helping people to improve their health,” she stated. “There’s a lot of opportunity to improve the national, state and community health care system by getting people engaged in understanding the health system as well as how to prevent disease. I’ve been working on [helping educate and engage people] most of my career, and I’m very inspired to keep doing that.”
She also worked to establish an in-house corporate training university and on-site child development center as part of her culture-building efforts. She says creating personalized services for guests is best accomplished by providing a personalized workplace for employees.
But her efforts to benefit others don’t end there. She currently serves as chairperson for the State of Nevada Academy of Health and as co-chair of Health Services Coalition of Southern Nevada. She is also a trustee for the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Health and Welfare Fund.
All of these experiences led to her current role as president and COO of New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
These days she keeps motivated and inspired by her work at New York-New York, her team, and the dynamic industry, which she refers to as a tremendous amount of fun. “It’s extremely motivating because every day is so distinctly different than any other day you have in this industry,” she commented. “We have just completed a fabulous remodel of New York-New York, and we are actively rebranding and inviting guests—including locals—to come and see our fresh new casino and entertainment venues.”
Kiser Murphey says her proudest accomplishment is her family. She is married and is the mother of two boys who keep her active in her life outside of work. They recently took a ski trip and enjoy hiking together.
It is Kiser Murphey’s grandfather who she believes help develop her foundation. “From a young age, he made it very important to have good grades and to work hard,” she said. “More than that, he had a real curiosity about people and about life.” He was a surgeon who learned medicine in the Army and held the 15th surgery license in the United States. “He was an incredible mentor. My mom was a single mom and had a significant role. My mother was terrific at raising her children and my grandfather was a major inspiration for me.”
She would tell women who aspire to work in the industry that “they’re only limited by what they believe and what they imagine.”
“I believe it’s a really good opportunity for someone who wants to be heavily engaged in an interactive industry,” she said. “If you’ve got the energy for it, go for it.”
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