PITTSBURGH BUSINESS TIMES - Personalities of Pittsburgh: Sean Sullivan, from a TV dream to the casino floor
Personalities of Pittsburgh: Sean Sullivan, from a TV dream to the casino floor
Sean Sullivan, general manager of Live! Casino Pittsburgh. (Jim Harris/PBT
By Jordyn Hronec – Digital Producer, Pittsburgh Business Times
Sep 16, 2022
Sean Sullivan is the general manager of Live! Casino Pittsburgh, located in the Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield Township, outside Greensburg. The casino, which is operated by Baltimore-based The Cordish Cos., opened in the middle of the pandemic in November 2020. It has seen increasing revenue numbers ever since. Originally from California, Sullivan has worked in casinos across the country, including in Las Vegas. Previously a manager at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino (now Hollywood Casino at the Meadows), he moved back to the area to manage Live! Casino Pittsburgh.
How did you begin work in the hospitality industry? What about it was attractive to you?
Forty-two years ago, my quest to work in the hospitality industry began. I graduated high school in 1977. And when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, there was a TV show called “Hotel.” The actors lived in the penthouse suite in a hotel, and they had food brought to them, they had their laundry done, they didn’t have to clean their room. And I thought, “that’s the life for me.” So I went to college in Northern California, and I studied management and marketing, with the thought that I’ll get into the hotel industry. Being raised in California, I spent a lot of time in Nevada. So I went over there and said, “I’m here, I’ve got a college degree. I played sports. I’m a competitive person. You need to hire me right away to work in your hotel. Let me live in the hotel.” And they told me, “Get out of here, go pound sand. There’s no job like that for you. You’ll be lucky if you get to be a bellhop.” So it was in the middle of winter in Reno, Nevada. And they actually were pushing me toward becoming a slot attendant at the time. Thankfully, another job opportunity came up in Reno, so I started in business as a market analyst, still one day hoping to work in a more elevated position, a hotel director or casino manager. But I really started by reading a book and watching a TV show that was all about hospitality in the hotel business. My first job I started in Reno, and here I am, I’ve never done anything different.
You once worked in Las Vegas. What was your initial impression?
I spent time in Vegas growing up, so Vegas wasn’t unfamiliar with me. I just saw nothing but lights, nothing but amazing entertainment and mega-resorts. People were going there to have fun and enjoy themselves. It just seemed like a crazy town. … I just thought it was the greatest thing ever.
What eventually brought you to western Pennsylvania when you began managing the Meadows Casino?
I was working for a company, Cannery Casino, in Las Vegas. And they were opening the new Meadows, their new 300,000-square-foot property. And they asked me if I would transfer out here. I thought, “This is crazy. I’m not a big fan of the East Coast, I’ve never really spent any time out there.” … But it’s been an unbelievable pleasure being out here, it’s been fabulous. I actually don’t even want to go back west anymore.
What brought you back?
When we sold the Meadows, I moved up to Minnesota to work for a tribal casino called Treasure Island, which was wonderful. The tribal gaming experiences are really different because they’re basically family-operated properties. They have a rich tradition and heritage, a lot with tremendous suffering and trials and tribulations. So you do get emotionally attached to it. But working in Minnesota was really, really cold. And I thought when The Cordish Cos. talked to me about coming back here, there were two things: One, I come back to the area that I’m comfortable with, where I love the people. And second, the Cordish family is amazing. They really operate these properties differently than most casino industry properties because they’re entertainment-driven and they’re family-driven.
What were the challenges in opening the Live! Casino Pittsburgh?
First of all, there was Covid. Many of the factories that we ordered slot machines from and chairs and tables, many of them come from a distance. But because of the factories being closed due to Covid, it was really challenging to get things here in time for our opening on Nov. 17, 2020. But we made it, and because we were in the middle of Covid, we had to create a safe environment for our team members and for our guests. We ordered Plexiglas and put it in between every single slot machine, between our restaurant booths and tables. We really had to establish a very unique cleaning approach. We have an HVAC system that would increase the airflow to be safer. We had to wear masks. It was just amazing. And then one month after opening, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said, “You need to close.” So we closed Dec. 12, 2020. We were allowed to reopen Jan. 4, 2021. We dealt with the pandemic at least through July of 2021. And then things started to relax a little bit. But we’re still practicing the guidelines that were put in place by the CDC and the Gaming Control Board.
What’s your favorite thing about the Pittsburgh region?
It’s the people. People are friendly and genuine. People who move away from here seem to always come back. … It’s a real genuine salt-of-the-earth type approach out here. And I enjoy that there’s no forest fires or earthquakes, and there’s no water shortages. So it’s pretty safe.
ABOUT SEAN SULLIVAN:
Title: General manager, Live! Casino Pittsburgh
Age: 64
First job: Harold’s Club, owned by Howard Hughes, in Reno, Nevada
Education: B.S.B.A., marketing management, University of the Pacific
Residence: Greensburg
Family: Wife, Tammy Ortiz Sullivan, sons Sean Troy and Connor
Hobbies: Reading self-improvement books and spending time with family and friends
Causes: Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, Westmoreland County Food Bank, working with local politicians to promote the betterment of the region and state
Article Credit: Pittsburgh Business Times