Raiders to announce new team president, hire HR director

The Raiders have filled two key positions within the team’s front office.

Raiders owner Mark Davis is set to introduce the organization’s new president at a news conference at 1 p.m. Thursday at Allegiant Stadium. The team also recently hired Heather DeSanto as its new vice president of human resources, a source confirmed to the Review-Journal.

The team has been without a president since interim president Dan Ventrelle was fired in May. Ventrelle took over the role last year, following former president Marc Badain’s resignation.

DeSanto replaces former human resources director Jaime Stratton, who was fired in April.

The additions come at a time when several top executives, including Badain and Ventrelle, have parted ways with the team in a 10-month period.

In addition to the departures, a Review-Journal investigation revealed allegations of a hostile workplace from former employees and various lawsuits that have been filed against the organization.

Ventrelle told the Review-Journal that he was fired in retaliation for alerting the NFL about issues within the Raiders workplace. Ventrelle said he went to the league after he presented Davis with his concerns, only for those to be dismissed.

The Raiders’ human resources leadership turned over three times in the past two years.

DeSanto is a longtime human resources professional, most recently serving as vice president of human resources at the Venetian.

During her time at the Venetian, DeSanto developed strategic human resources programs and policies to support the resort’s values and strategy, according to her LinkedIn account. That work included performance management, employee relations, training and development and compensation and benefits.

DeSanto began her career at the Venetian as benefits manager in 2003, moving over to director of human resources at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore in 2010. She was promoted to vice president of human resources at Marina Bay Sands before her return to the Venetian in 2018.

Before her lengthy career with the Las Vegas Sands Corp., DeSanto held human resources positions at MGM Mirage (currently MGM Resorts International) and New York-New York Hotel.

The two hires mark the third major addition to the Raiders front office in recent months. Former player Marcel Reece was promoted to senior vice president, chief of staff in May. That was after he was briefly made chief people officer after serving as senior adviser to Davis before that.

The Review-Journal is owned by the Adelson family, including Dr. Miriam Adelson, majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corp., and Las Vegas Sands President and COO Patrick Dumont.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.