MGM Resorts International has picked Bill Hornbuckle, the company’s president and chief operating officer, to take over as acting chief executive as the global casino operator responds to widespread closures of its properties amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Outgoing Chief Executive Jim Murren, who announced his plans to leave last month, stepped down from his post Sunday. MGM Resorts also said board member Paul Salem, of Providence Equity Partners, will succeed Mr. Murren as chairman.

“It is clear that once the threat to the public health has subsided and we are ready to reopen our resorts and casinos, it will take an incredible effort to ramp back up,” Mr. Salem said in a statement. “We believe continued steady, skilled leadership is needed in this time of great upheaval and uncertainty.”

Mr. Murren had led the company since 2008, and his exit comes before his contract expires at the end of 2021. Mr. Hornbuckle previously served as MGM’s chief marketing officer and in leadership roles at its Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand resorts, among other roles.

MGM Resorts and other casino operators have closed down temporarily, including in the hubs of Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and implemented widespread layoffs and furloughs in response to the spreading coronavirus.