IAAPA CEO Paul Noland leaves to run accesso

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

From the IAAPA press release:

Today, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) announced Paul Noland has resigned as IAAPA president and CEO to accept a new executive position elsewhere in the attractions industry. The IAAPA Board of Directors will conduct a worldwide search for Noland's replacement. IAAPA Chief Financial Officer Hal McEvoy will lead the global association for the attractions industry as interim president and CEO during the transition.

Noland was named IAAPA president and CEO in January 2013. Prior to joining IAAPA, he was a theme park consultant and a member of the IAAPA Board of Directors. Noland also held leadership positions at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Marriott International. An announcement regarding Noland's new role in the attractions industry will be made soon.

"Paul has led IAAPA through some of the most successful years in the association's 100-year history," said IAAPA Chairman and Liseberg President and CEO, Andreas Andersen. "In addition, he has managed an extensive expansion of member services, the continued globalization of the association, and the complicated relocation of IAAPA's headquarters from the Washington, D.C. area to Orlando. For this, we owe him a very warm thank you."

"It has been one of the true joys of my career to be associated with such a talented and committed staff and volunteer leadership," said Noland. "The association is well positioned for the future, and I know that its best days are ahead."

McEvoy joined IAAPA as chief financial officer in April 2017 following a successful 42-year career with Busch Entertainment Corporation/SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. McEvoy has an extensive background in corporate finance, accounting, financial controls, audit, and operations.

"Hal's knowledge of the attractions industry and IAAPA is vast, and I am confident he will do an outstanding job leading the association during this important leadership transition," said Andersen.

IAAPA will conduct a global search for a new president and CEO. The search will be led by the IAAPA Compensation Committee. Information regarding the position will be posted at www.IAAPA.org/JobsatIAAPA and on the IAAPA Job Board, www.IAAPA.org/Jobs in the near future.

From the accesso press release:

accesso Technology Group plc (AIM: ACSO), the premier technology solutions provider to leisure, entertainment, hospitality, attractions and cultural markets, today announced that Paul Noland, current president and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), will succeed Steve Brown as accesso chief executive officer, effective April 9, 2018. Brown will step down from the accesso board of directors at that time and will continue to serve as an advisor to both Noland and the accesso board throughout 2018 to ensure a seamless transition.

Noland has built an impressive resume as a leader in the international attractions and entertainment industries. He served for 16 years in senior executive roles with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts where he championed major growth initiatives across the company's domestic theme parks and resorts and oversaw the financial planning, revenue management and pricing functions at Walt Disney World Resort. Prior to Disney, he spent more than a dozen years in leadership roles with Marriott International where he focused on optimizing revenue across the company's then 900 hotels. Noland will step down from his existing role at IAAPA to focus on his new role at accesso.

Since 2013, Noland has served as IAAPA president, helping the organization continue its growth as the largest international trade association for amusement facilities and attractions worldwide. IAAPA represents more than 5,400 facility, supplier and individual members from more than 90 countries.

"We thank Steve for the outstanding contribution he has made to Accesso's prosperity during his tenure," said Tom Burnet, chairman of accesso. "His leadership, vision and drive have been fundamental to the creation of today's global and integrated Accesso and I have enjoyed working with him enormously. His decision to stay on as an advisor to Paul and the Board will ensure a smooth transition and we wish him all the best in his next endeavors.

"We believe that Paul's unmatched track record, industry knowledge, relationships and passion for excellence make him exactly the right person to lead the next phase of our growth," Burnet added. "I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to execute on our ambitious plans."

"I'm thrilled to be joining Accesso at such an exciting time in its development," said Noland. "The Accesso team has built a fantastic business and I look forward to bringing my experience to bear in driving it forward. My background across the industry gives me a full sense of the opportunity Accesso has before it, and with the combination of outstanding technology and fantastic people already in place, I'm full of excitement about the future."

"I am excited to see the company that I have helped to build continue forward under the leadership of a person I have known, trusted and worked with for more than 20 years," said Brown. "I can think of no one better suited to lead Accesso to a position of international prominence than Paul Noland."

Noland joins accesso on the heels of its acquisitions of Ingresso and The Experience EngineTM (TE2) in 2017, and will lead a global technology solutions company with more than 500 employees, supporting clients in more than 30 countries and more than 1,000 venues.

Noland earned a Master of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Speech Communication from Radford University in Radford, Virginia. He will be based in accesso's office in Lake Mary, Fla.