MGM Mirage chief Lanni needs a lesson in building a truthful resume

Imagine how uncomfortable it would have been if MGM Mirage boss Terry Lanni had been standing before Nevada gaming regulators Thursday urging them to allow Dubai World to invest billions more in the gaming company.

Would the Nevada Gaming commissioners have felt compelled to ask Lanni if he fudged about his academic degrees? Or would they have played nice and ignored the Wall Street Journal story questioning discrepancies between his official resumé and his alma mater’s records? (Lanni’s official biography claimed a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California, but university officials said he didn’t get one. They even denied he had an honorary degree, as he claimed. Nor could they find evidence he had a bachelor of arts degree in speech as his bio claimed. They did find a 1965 bachelor of science degree in business.)

Imagine the awkwardness if commissioners had probed Lanni about resumé inflation during the hearing in front of Dubai World executives. Then imagine how gutless commissioners would have looked if they had ignored the issue. Gaming commissioners weren’t faced with that awkward quandary because Lanni is no longer the face of the company. Jim Murren is the new man in charge at MGM Mirage, due to a fast and fascinating timeline.

• Nov 5: Lanni, chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage, is before the Gaming Control Board urging approval for Dubai World to buy up to 20 percent of the gaming company’s stock.

• Nov. 12: Wall Street Journal asks Lanni about his MBA, which he says was honorary.

• Nov. 13: Lanni announces he’s stepping down Nov. 30, insisting it’s not due to the Journal article.

• Nov. 18: President Murren, who was being groomed as Lanni’s successor, gets Lanni’s titles.

• Nov. 20: Murren appears before the Nevada Gaming Commission as the face of the company.

The short notice for a CEO retirement seems hurried, even though Lanni, 65, has made it clear for years he was ready to retire.

MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman denied Lanni’s abrupt resignation had anything to do with the Dubai World hearing or the Wall Street Journal story, calling it an “unfathomable coincidence.” He said the short notice by Lanni made sense because if he prolonged his departure it might have created confusion about who is in charge. Feldman said the MGM Mirage will figure out how the incorrect information made it into the company’s official records. “We’ll get to the bottom of it,” he said.

I’ve received mixed messages whether Nevada gaming regulators want to know whether Lanni put false information on his gaming license application.

On Tuesday, Gaming Control Board member Randy Sayre said he hadn’t asked for a records review, because it wasn’t worth investing the time when the board has limited resources. He praised Lanni’s many years of service and credited him with “changing the landscape with his business acumen.”

On Wednesday, Review-Journal reporter Arnold Knightly reported that gaming regulators in New Jersey and Michigan said they would look into Lanni’s resumé issues.

On Thursday, Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander said, “I can confirm that the board is investigating this matter.” Another quick turnaround.

Resumé inflation, big deal or big whoop?

One year ago, I pounded Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta for inflating her teaching credentials on her resumé by claiming to be an “associate professor” (a tenured position) at UNLV and her alma mater Wayne State University when in both cases she was a part-time instructor. She said the mistakes were “human error” and she took responsibility.

I stand by what I said then. Inflating your educational background is a big deal — it’s a lie.

Feldman said ultimately he was responsible for not putting “honorary” in front of Lanni’s MBA in official documents (even though Lanni’s alma mater denies he got an honorary degree either).

Not so. Lanni is responsible for his resumé’s accuracy. Nobody else. And unless somehow someone finds that honorary MBA and explains the discrepancy in his undergraduate work, then despite his recognized leadership in the gaming industry, this will remain a black mark on Lanni and his credibility.

Why should any of us believe Lanni’s denials that his abrupt departure had nothing to do with the resumé flap and nothing to do with Dubai World if he falsified his resumé earlier in his career?

If this was all some horrible mix-up, Lanni should get it sorted out fast to protect the most valuable thing he has — his reputation.

Jane Ann Morrison’s column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison