Madame Tussauds owner names Scott M. O’Neil as new CEO
Legoland theme park owner Merlin Entertainment has announced its new chief executive officer as Scott M. O’Neil.
The Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds owner said on Monday that O’Neil will step into the shoes of outgoing boss Nick Varney, who has served a 23-year stint.
O’Neil’s CV boasts previous roles including a stint as CEO for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), a portfolio of sports, entertainment, and investment properties, as well as eight years at the NBA.
Attractions owned by Merlin also include 10 Legoland resort theme parks and hotels, SEA Life aquariums and the London Eye.
It comes as the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator looks to expand across the US and Asia. It currently has three Legoland resorts in China under development.
Merlin was a company “with phenomenal tailwinds,” designate CEO O’Neil said.
The company was “actively building and searching for new attractions and sites,” according to O’Neil.
“We are fortunate in that we are not constrained to a single studio or content pipeline and are seeking additional brand partners to redefine the attractions business,” he added.
What’s more, Merlin would “aggressively look to expand our offerings and experiences” across its current attractions.
The incoming chief has “a proven track-record of delivering business transformation,” plus the “vision and ambition to lead Merlin through the next exciting stages of its global development,” Merlin chair, Roland Hernandez, said.