Hot off the press news this morning as Scott O’Neil will leave Merlin Entertainments at the end of 2024 with Fiona Eastwood replacing him on an interim basis.
Scott has been at the helm of Merlin Entertainments for the last two years as he brought his enthusiasm, dedication and business-focused attitude to the table when devising a long-term strategy.
Scott saw the opening of the Jumanji land at Chessington along with the opening of Hyperia at Thorpe Park here in the UK and has been in the role as CEO for two years.
The former boss of the Philadelphia 76ers will be taking an undisclosed role elsewhere.
Scott took over from previous Merlin CEO Nick Varney in late 2022 which put him in charge of one of the world’s biggest operators of theme parks and visitor attractions worldwide.
Owners of Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, SeaLife, LEGOLAND and more Merlin operates 140 attractions globally and boasts more than 60 million visitors annually.
It was only last week announced by Scott that a deal was struck with Mojang Studios to bring the Minecraft IP to Merlin Entertainments with a UK and US project instantly planned for this deal.
Chessington World of Adventures are the prime favourites to host a Minecraft land within their theme park as the plans were released last week which almost guarantees its arrival to the UK park.
LegoLand Shanghai is also due to open next year which will be the first park of its kind in China and the biggest LegoLand park in the world.
Scott has been nothing but kind to us on Lift Hills and Thrills, he has been gracious, kind and always willing to chat but not only that, he agreed to have an interview with us which speaks volumes.
You can check out that interview with Scott O’Neil below as we wish him well with this brand-new future endeavour.
A statement released by Scott said the following:
“It has been an honour to lead Merlin Entertainments as it lays the foundations for its next phase of growth. I look forward to working with Fiona as interim CEO to ensure a smooth transition. She is an outstanding leader who will take the business forward with drive, creativity and ambition.”
Roland Hernandez, Chair of Merlin had the following to say:
“Scott has led Merlin Entertainments with passion and dedication, and I would like to thank him for his service to this company. We wish him well in all his future endeavours.
Merlin has a proven track record of working with leading IP and brands across its estate, establishing successful partnerships to bring these to life in key locations across the world. Our investment across both our existing estate and exciting new openings, from our Peppa Pig theme parks to exhilarating new rollercoasters like Hyperia at Thorpe Park, means we are ideally placed to delight guests from toddlers to thrill-seekers.
We’re delighted Fiona Eastwood has agreed to become interim CEO, an appointment that reflects the strength of leadership talent that we have built at Merlin. Fiona has nearly a decade of experience at Merlin Entertainments, and has focused on delivering world-class attractions with the best IP in the world, and exceptional guest and team experiences.
She has built a reputation throughout the live attractions and theme parks industry as a world-class leader.
Her prior role as COO of the company puts her in an ideal position to lead this transition and build upon Merlin’s mission to be the greatest place to work and play.”
