Alejandro H. Tengco has served as Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) since August 2022. Prior to his government appointment, he was President and CEO of Nationstar Development Corporation, a construction firm recognized for projects like the National Museum of Natural History renovation. He also held leadership roles in the food and real estate sectors and previously headed the government affairs group at PLDT.

A product of Jesuit education, Chairman Tengco studied at Ateneo de Manila University from grade school through postgraduate studies. He earned a degree in Business Management in 1982 and pursued law at Ateneo Law School until 1984.

As PAGCOR chief, Chairman Tengco has led transformative reforms aimed at modernizing the gaming industry, enhancing transparency, and increasing revenues. His leadership has helped reposition PAGCOR as a key driver of national development and a more attractive destination for global investment.

Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez is the President and CEO of Newport World Resorts, leading its transformation and long-term growth. Formerly Chief Strategy Officer, he oversaw finance, planning, procurement, engineering and project management. With over 30 years of global experience, he held leadership roles at Philippine Airlines (PAL), Delta Air Lines, Hilton Nagoya, Accenture and SGV & Co., and was part of the core team behind PAL’s successful Chapter 11 restructuring prior to joining the integrated resort industry. 

Andrew W. Scott is Vice Chairman and CEO of Inside Asian Gaming (IAG) and CEO of its parent, Complete Media Group (CMG), overseeing one of the most influential gaming media and event platforms worldwide, with a strong Asia-Pacific focus. His career spans high-stakes gambling, regulatory advocacy, and media leadership, giving him rare insight into the global gaming ecosystem.

Born in Australia, Andrew began his professional career in the mid-1980s with a Chartered Accounting firm, preparing accounts and tax returns and working in audit and liquidation, while also frequenting casinos. In 1993 he launched a sports betting business in Vanuatu before returning to Australia as a base from which to travel extensively, visiting over 200 casinos across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. A regular guest on leading Australian programs including Four Corners, Sky News, A Current Affair, Today Tonight, and The Midday Show, Andrew has long commentated on gaming issues and helped shape debate on gambling fairness and regulation.

Relocating to Hong Kong in 2005 and Macau in 2009, Andrew shifted to media. He founded O MEDIA and launched World Gaming, covering Asia’s gaming industry. In 2015 O MEDIA acquired IAG, then an English-only monthly magazine.

As CEO, Andrew transformed IAG into a multi-platform leader: expanding its magazine, growing asgam.com, launching the daily IAG Breakfast Briefing, adding Chinese-language coverage, and building a thriving events business. On 1 January 2020 he was also appointed Vice Chairman. On 1 January 2025, IAG merged with US-based CDC Gaming, both becoming subsidiaries of newly formed CMG, of which Andrew became CEO.

His eclectic career has included roles as accountant, nightclub manager, sports betting operator, educator, high-stakes poker player, poker TV commentator, journalist, and publisher. Today he is a journalist and executive with deep expertise in gaming and leisure across Macau, Asia-Pacific and globally.

Andrew was named 2014 Macau Person of the Year. He is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors, a permanent member of the Macau Gaming Management Association, and former Vice Chairman of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Macau. He is also a member of the International Federation of Journalists, the Portuguese and English Press Association of Macau, and the Poker Tournament Directors Association. His network spans Macau, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, and beyond.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Tasmania (with multiple awards) and a Master of Science (International Integrated Resort Management) with honors and a perfect 4.0 GPA from the University of Macau, where his thesis examined why some Asian integrated resorts outperform others.

Andrew has chaired major international conferences, advised governments on gaming policy, and authored numerous works on regulation, investment and innovation. Having been player, advocate, entrepreneur, and executive, he commands industry credibility across many jurisdictions. Based in Macau, and continuing to travel extensively, he connects East and West with pragmatic insight, analytical rigor, and lived experience in a rapidly evolving sector.

Ben began his career as a sports journalist in Sydney in 1999, working for a number of leading news publications before his interest was piqued by the TV poker shows that frequented the airwaves late at night. He soon found himself not only playing the game but writing about it too – taking on the role of Editor for PokerNews Australasia and subsequently visiting Macau for the very first time in 2008. 

He was appointed Managing Editor of World Gaming magazine in February 2013, subsequently overseeing then-IAG parent O MEDIA’s editorial catalogue including High Life, Hengqin Record and more. He was appointed Chief Content Officer of O MEDIA in 2017.

In 2016, Ben became Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming and has spent his years since then delving ever more deeply into the business of gaming. He was instrumental in the launch of the industry-leading daily e-newsletter IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017. He was appointed APAC Managing Editor of now-IAG parent Complete Media Group in 2025.

From engineer to entrepreneur to executive, from IT to Gaming to Art to Fintech and back to Gaming, with little legacy and even less boundary.

2025 Summit Sessions

Day 2 (Wed 10 Sep 2025) 11:30 to 12:10 Suppliers World: Insights and Trends Across the Asia Pacific Region

Sean Knights brings over three decades of global gaming and hospitality leadership to his role as Chief Operating Officer of NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu, Philippines. As the Philippines’ newest integrated resort destination, NUSTAR is poised to set new benchmarks in Southeast Asian hospitality – and under Sean’s direction, operational strategy and guest experience are world-class.

Sean’s distinguished career includes senior executive roles with industry leaders such as Delaware North, Crown Resorts, Resorts World Sentosa and Jupiters Townsville. Immediately prior to joining NUSTAR, he served as General Manager of Mindil Beach Casino Resort in Darwin, Australia, where he oversaw operational transformation tailored to the unique cultural and regulatory environment of the Northern Territory.

At NUSTAR Cebu, Sean’s expertise in large scale resort operations and gaming management is helping shape a destination that seamlessly blends Filipino warmth with international standards. He is leading the resort’s efforts in operational excellence, innovation and local workforce empowerment – ensuring that NUSTAR not only delivers exceptional visitor experiences, but also contributes meaningfully to Cebu’s tourism growth and community development.

Sean’s regional and international insight, combined with his deep understanding of integrated resort dynamics, makes him a key voice in the evolution of gaming and hospitality across Asia.