ORLANDO, Fla. – SeaWorld Orlando has a new boss.
The theme park announced Thursday that Brad Gilmour will be president of SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove in Orlando, effective immediately.
Gilmour succeeds Jon “JP” Peterson, who was SeaWorld’s president. SeaWorld’s parent company, United Parks and Resorts, did not say why Peterson was leaving.
“We are grateful for JP’s contributions,” said Kyle Miller, Co-Chief Operating Officer for United Parks & Resorts.
Gilmour has been with the company since 2003. A news release from SeaWorld said Gilmour has served in leadership roles across the parks. Since 2023, he has been park president for Discovery Cove and Aquatica.
[WATCH: SeaWorld Orlando returns 9 rehabilitated green sea turtles to Atlantic Ocean]
“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. I’m confident our teams will benefit greatly from his leadership,” Miller said in a news release.
Earlier this week, United Parks and Resorts announced that second quarter attendance was at 6.1 million guests across the company’s parks, down 2.9% from last year.
The company said the attendance drop was due to the unfavorable timing of Easter this year, along with a decrease in international visitors.
In addition to Orlando’s three parks, United Parks and Resorts runs Busch Gardens in Tampa, and has parks in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, California and Abu Dhabi.
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