Spotlighting Women Leaders: Carol Wetzel Shares Highlights and Key Learnings From Her More Than 20-Year Tenure at Sands

During Women’s History Month 2026, Sands is featuring the women who help drive the company’s success and exemplify its culture of advancement and leadership. Carol Wetzel joined Sands more than 20 years ago as associate general counsel for The Venetian Las Vegas and now serves as senior vice president and deputy global general counsel.

Over the course of her career at Sands, Wetzel has been part of several company milestones, such as the openings of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Palazzo in Las Vegas, as well as the company’s significant expansion in Macao. She attributes her success at Sands to looking at every experience as an opportunity to learn and consistently aiming to improve the legal department’s contributions to the company.

Describe your role and experience at Sands.

“I started as associate general counsel for The Venetian Las Vegas and have held a number of positions and titles within the legal department, eventually becoming general counsel for the resort before its sale, prior to my current role as deputy global general counsel.

“My background and focus are in gaming and regulatory compliance, but my responsibilities broadly cover providing legal advice to support the operation of our business. My department also works closely with our business partners to identify and minimize risk. In my role, I keep up-to-date on legal developments related to our industry and in turn provide operational recommendations to the business as needed.

“I’ve had the opportunity to participate in so many important company milestones, which have been fulfilling both personally and professionally.

“I was with the company when we built The Palazzo, as well as when we secured a gaming license in Singapore. It has been exciting and memorable to be a part of these early development efforts, particularly the beginning stages of Marina Bay Sands, which is now such an iconic and thriving property. I’ve also seen our development in Macao grow from one property to becoming a major portion of our operations today. Other significant events include the licensing, development and sale of our Pennsylvania property and the sale of our Las Vegas properties. Likewise, I have been involved in various legal challenges faced by the company over the years. Being a part of the growth and development of our company, including these challenges, has offered many great personal memories and professional learning experiences.”

What resources, philosophies and experiences helped you build a successful career?

“In addition to my background at Sands, another really valuable experience in my career was working for the State of Nevada Attorney General’s office (Gaming Division) representing the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission. That role gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the gaming regulators’ perspective, and I found that to be very insightful and something that I’ve relied on throughout my career.

“Since I’ve been at Sands for a long time, I’ve encountered many different leadership styles over the years. And although the experiences and leadership styles have varied, the shared values of the company have remained consistent. Mr. Adelson was truly an amazing leader, and one thing I’ll always remember is how he treated our Team Members during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were massive layoffs up and down the Strip at that time. I think Sands was the only company on the Strip that never let go of anyone and continued to pay every single Team Member throughout the pandemic, which was really phenomenal.

“That’s the story I like to tell when I’m interviewing candidates and they ask about the company culture, because I think that says so much about our values and our leadership’s mindset. I appreciate that mindset, and it is a big part of why I enjoy what I do and the people I work with at Sands.”

What are your ideas for empowering women in their careers?

“There are several things I can share, and the first is that nothing replaces hard work and being willing to roll up your sleeves and do the work. At the same time, it is important to do your best to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

“I also learned early on to embrace every project as an opportunity to learn, with no project being too big or too small. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Questions are underrated.

“You can learn from your successes, but you can also learn from your mistakes or failures – and sometimes you can learn even more in those instances. Learning from both the ups and downs is part of building a career. Always remain open to change and look for ways to improve your work and your contributions to the company’s operations as the business evolves.

“Also, you should take advantage of those leaders who are willing to teach and mentor you. I would encourage our Team Members to participate in Sands EmpowHER mentorship program.

“Finally, I think it’s important to be collaborative with your colleagues and do what you can to contribute to a positive work environment. We spend a lot of our time here, so contributing to a good culture is something everyone can do.”