SeaWorld Orlando names new park president
ORLANDO, Fla. - SeaWorld Orlando has named a new park president in the latest leadership shake-up.
Brad Gilmour, who has led Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove for the past few years, will also take over leading the SeaWorld park, the company has announced.
Who is Brad Gilmour?
Gilmour has been with the company for 23 years and served in various leadership roles during that time.
A graduate of the University of Central Florida, Gilmour got his start at Discovery Cove in 2003. He became president of Aquatica and Discovery Cove in 2023.
"His deep operational knowledge, combined with his proven track record across our Orlando parks, makes him exactly the right leader to guide our parks into their next chapter," Kyle Miller, co-chief operating officer of parent company United Parks & Resorts, said in a news release. "I'm confident our teams will benefit greatly from his leadership."
Brad Gilmour has been named the new president of SeaWorld Orlando. Gilmour will also continue to lead Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove. (Credit: SeaWorld Orlando)
Leadership change
Gilmour replaces Jon "JP" Peterson, who had been SeaWorld's president since 2023.
SeaWorld didn't say when or why Peterson left the company.
"We are grateful for JP's contributions," Miller said in the release.
Attendance, revenue down at United Parks
The leadership change comes just days after United Parks released its second-quarter earnings report.
The company revealed that attendance at its parks dropped nearly 3% to 6.1 million visitors. Revenue was also down 1.4% to $483.3 million.
The company blamed the unfavorable timing of the Easter holiday and the decrease in international visitors for the dip.
United Parks operates 13 theme parks and water parks across the U.S. and in Abu Dhabi.
In addition to the three Orlando parks, the company also operates Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island in Florida.
The Source: This article was written with information released by United Parks & Resorts and from previous reporting.