John Reilly Appointed New CEO of Palace Entertainment

(eap) Parques Reunidos, the global amusement park operator under whose umbrella Palace Entertainment’s U.S. properties operate, today announced the appointment of John Reilly as the new CEO of Palace Entertainment. Reilly, who joined Parques Reunidos in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer US and AU, was most recently responsible for operations for the Madrid-based operator group as COO and member of the Executive Committee. He will retain these positions and thus continue to oversee the operation of the European parks.

“We are delighted to have John step into this new role. With over three decades of experience in the theme park industry and an in-depth knowledge of our U.S. and Australia-based parks, John will be pivotal in enhancing the memorable experiences we offer to our guests,” said Pascal Ferracci, CEO of Parques Reunidos. “Since joining us in 2019 as COO for the US business, John has successfully led our U.S. and Australia properties, establishing a core leadership team at our new park support center. His contributions have been instrumental in the growth and success of our operations in these regions. We are thrilled to see him take on this new challenge.”

In addition to Reilly’s appointment, Anil Rao, who joined Palace Entertainment in 2021 as Vice President of Food and Beverage, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Business Development and Park Support. In his new role, Rao will continue to oversee food and beverage operations while leading retail, people and organization, capital projects and information technology transformations across the parks and support center. Furthermore, Mark Pauls has been named Vice President of Operations, responsible for the operations and maintenance of all parks in the United States, Hawaii and Australia. Pauls has more than 45 years of experience in the leisure industry and has been part of Palace Entertainment since 2020, serving as General Manager of Kennywood Park and Sandcastle Water Park as well as Group Theme Park Manager. ■