Caesars Windsor names Windsor native Jody Brown senior vice-president and GM
Brown, a 14-year Caesars veteran, takes over from Kevin Laforet, who retires in March as a new 20-year operating deal with OLG begins.
Caesars Windsor will have new leadership in January, with Jody Brown appointed senior vice-president and general manager, AM800 reported. Brown succeeds Kevin Laforet, who is retiring in March.
Brown grew up in Windsor and is a chartered professional accountant. He has spent 14 years with Caesars Entertainment, holding leadership roles in Windsor and, most recently, in New Orleans. There, he oversaw a major rebranding project.
Caesars said Brown's duties will be the same as Laforet's, under a new title. Brown's priorities include fully bringing Caesars Windsor into the wider Caesars Entertainment network and keeping up the casino's strong community impact, according to the report.
The leadership change comes as the casino moves to a new arrangement with the province. Earlier in 2025, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) signed a 20-year agreement with Caesars Entertainment to keep operating Caesars Windsor, starting in March 2026.
Under the deal, Caesars will manage the casino and its amenities and will pay for future upgrades. Employees will also gain access to more of the company's systems and resources than before.
A long run for Laforet
Laforet, the casino's president and CEO, announced his retirement in November after more than 30 years in the Windsor-Essex tourism industry. He held an executive role at the casino from 1994 and served as president from 2003. Over that time he helped open four casino properties in Windsor: the interim Casino Windsor in 1994, the Northern Belle riverboat casino in 1995, the permanent facility in 1998 and the expansion and rebranding to Caesars Windsor in 2008. His honours include a Gaming Professional of the Year award from the Casino Management Association and a key to the City of Windsor.
AM800 reported at the time that the casino welcomes 3.5 million guests a year, 1.5 million of them from outside the region, and that the search for a successor would overlap with Laforet's final months to allow a smooth handover.