Merlin Entertainments announces Fiona Eastwood as interim Chief Executive

Following the departure of Scott O’Neil earlier this week, Merlin Entertainments has named Fiona Eastwood as its interim Chief Executive.

Announcing her interim role, Merlin Entertainments Chair, Roland Hernandez stated “Fiona Eastwood has built a reputation throughout the industry as a world-class leader.

“(She) has nearly a decade of experience at Merlin Entertainments and has built a reputation throughout the 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 on Merlin’s mission to be the greatest place to work and play.

“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,"

Commenting on here interim role, Eastwood commented “Merlin is a world class company with an exciting year ahead, including the opening of Legoland Shanghai, our first Legoland park in China, and Peppa Pig Theme Park in Dallas.

"Our business is led by an extraordinarily talented, innovative and inspiring management team and I look forward to working closely with them to execute our strategy and to continue to deliver exceptional experiences to our guests.”

O'Neil, who is reported to be moving to the role of Chief Executive at the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf, is leaving Merlin after just two years in the role.

He had replaced Merlin founder Nick Varney on his retirement in November 2022.

During his time at Merlin, O’Neil oversaw the businesses reemergence from pandemic shutdowns and recently confirmed a partnership with Minecraft to "bring the world’s best-selling game to life in the real world", with the first permanent physical experiences planned for locations in the UK and USA.

Image: Fiona Eastwood. Credit: Merlin Entertainments.