Madame Tussauds and Alton Towers owner Merlin Entertainments has reportedly lured a former boss of the Philadelphia 76ers NBA team as its next chief executive.
According to Sky News, Merlin will announce later on Monday that Scott O’Neil will replace veteran CEO Nick Varney.
Merlin, which is now privately owned, counts the London Eye and Thorpe Park among its other prime assets in the UK.
O’Neil resigned last year from the 76ers’ owner, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE). Dave Blitzer, a co-founder of HBSE, is a top executive at Blackstone, the private equity firm that has a controlling stake in Merlin, Sky noted.
Its other investors are a vehicle owned by the family behind the Lego empire and Canada’s largest pension fund.
Varney announced in April that he was planning to step down after nearly a quarter of a century in charge of the company in its various guises.
