Parkz News Ardent Leisure CEO Simon Kelly resigns after six months

[Parkz News]

Ardent Leisure CEO Simon Kelly resigns after six months

Tumultuous times continue for the owners of Dreamworld, who have announced the sudden resignation of CEO Simon Kelly.

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[Tim Dasco]

Anyone think Mark would be a good candidate and be able to help turn DW around as the new CEO Ardent?

[New display name]

Who is this Mark you talk of @Tim Dasco?

[Tim Dasco]

@Mark Shaw the ex CEO of adventure world and the current CEO of Bounce.

[Jdude95]

I agree, Mark is fantastic at what he does but his name gets thrown around far too often in here just because he's the only "active" member in the forums that was part of a theme park senior leadership team. I'm sure there are many highly qualified professionals who could fill the Ardent CEO position.

[New display name]

In that case. No!

[pin142]

Mark has an idea about the industry, Ardent seem to be filling positions with those who have no real background in the role their in so wouldn't make sense for Ardent to put someone like Mark in charge.

[Brad2912]

34 minutes ago, pin142 said:

Mark has an idea about the industry, Ardent seem to be filling positions with those who have no real background in the role their in so wouldn't make sense for Ardent to put someone like Mark in charge.

I know nothing of Marks credentials outside of AW & his current role, but from the outside I’d argue whilst he may be suited to the DW CEO role, the Ardent CEO role is much more multifaceted than running a theme park. It’s a whole different level. Mark may or may not have the experience and know how for just a role, I don’t know, but it seems people here are of the opinion if you can run a theme park you therefore can run a business that has a theme park arm to it, and that’s not the reality 

[Tim Dasco]

@Brad2912 I believe mark was an executive at Merlin entertainment and he is now currently the CEO of Bounce Inc.

[Brad2912]

Wasn’t aware of Marks background at Merlin, but from what I can see (LinkedIn) it was as a commercial director for 2 merlin parks. 

Again, I’m not sure if that is the same skill set required for CEO of an international, multi-focused company - but hey, what do I know! The last 3 CEOs haven’t been all they were cracked up to be! 

[bladex]

good now bring someone it who will revitalize the damned park before it closes for good..

Edited November 8, 2017 by bladex

[Locke]

So was Simon Kelly pro or anti investing in DW? From what I read he and Gary Weiss from Ariadne didn't get a long, considering Ariadne want Ardent to invest more in DW this could be a good thing no?

[Mark Shaw]

On 11/8/2017 at 2:35 PM, Brad2912 said:

I know nothing of Marks credentials outside of AW & his current role, but from the outside I’d argue whilst he may be suited to the DW CEO role, the Ardent CEO role is much more multifaceted than running a theme park. It’s a whole different level. Mark may or may not have the experience and know how for just a role, I don’t know, but it seems people here are of the opinion if you can run a theme park you therefore can run a business that has a theme park arm to it, and that’s not the reality 

I would probably agree. Most of what you raise is about scale, however.  Corporate shareholder-driven leisure business is a flawed model in my view when it comes to high-end experiential businesses and most struggle over a long time frame. 

On 11/8/2017 at 12:53 PM, Skeeta said:

In that case. No!

ouch.  

[jjuttp]

I'd just say the entire concept of a shareholder driven company is a bad move.

 

While it's only a tv show, Silicon Valley I've found is the best way to show why its bad. Nothing good has come from the decisions Pied Piper have made running a shareholder driven company. Let alone Hooli or any of the others.

[Mark Shaw]

28 minutes ago, jjuttp said:

I'd just say the entire concept of a shareholder driven company is a bad move.

 

While it's only a tv show, Silicon Valley I've found is the best way to show why its bad. Nothing good has come from the decisions Pied Piper have made running a shareholder driven company. Let alone Hooli or any of the others.

I agree and I believe history, sometime in the future will show that as something of a nasty pimple on the surface of commercial common sense.  Like CEO's that earn 20 times more than the next level below?  No one person can make that much difference, ever, except Branson perhaps.