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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-universal0306oct03,0,1468310.story
Universal's president to retire
Bob Gault helped lead the Orlando resort through the tourism slump after 9-11.
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 3, 2006
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Bob Gault, who led Universal Orlando through tough tourism times following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, then a couple of boom years, then another slide, is retiring as the theme park resort's president Dec. 5.
Bill Davis, a former SeaWorld of Florida general manager, will replace him, becoming the next chief operating officer of Universal's resort with two of the world's largest theme parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, the CityWalk entertainment district and three resort hotels.
Gault, 62, announced Monday that he is retiring to move back to San Diego, to be near his grandchildren, sail, fish and travel with his wife, Shannon.
He said he has mixed feelings about retiring. But he said he is proud that Universal Orlando rebounded from two slow years following the Sept. 11 attacks to a record attendance in 2004, a record profit in 2005 and what he said are record employee-satisfaction levels today.
"I think I was at the right place at the right time," he said.
His boss, Universal Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Williams, agreed, calling him a "consummate professional."
"There was no better leader for this time than Bob Gault," Williams said.
Yet that time may have ended, said industry consultant Dennis Speigel.
Universal's gate slid through 2005 and the first part of this year, despite numerous promotions and ticket deals. Universal's last financial report, covering the three months ending July 2, showed progress, but the parks' attendance still lagged well behind 2004 levels.
"Something had to be done," Speigel said. "I think Bob said, 'Hey, it's time for me to go.' "
Gault started at a difficult time. He became interim president in November 2001, just weeks into the tourism market collapse that followed Sept. 11. Then, just as the market looked as if it had recovered in 2004, an unprecedented flurry of hurricanes blew through Florida and the Gulf Coast, giving tourists new jitters.
Also, early in his tenure, Universal Studios' parent company, Vivendi Universal, ran into financial and legal problems and put its theme parks on the market. Years of uncertainty about ownership and capital spending followed, even after NBC bought Universal Studios in 2004.
In Gault's five years, Universal added few attractions. There are just two major new shows, Shrek 4-D and Fear Factor Live, and one major new ride, Revenge of the Mummy -- The Ride, and all replaced old attractions. This year, Universal opened a nightclub, a restaurant, a children's train ride, and a fresh summer night show, Universal 360.
Despite the drop in attendance in 2005, the theme park company managed a record profit of $35.3 million.
Gault credited what he called a strong team of leaders and employees, and quality attractions. He said he stuck to fundamentals -- pleasing employees and guests and controlling costs.
"I'm a fundamentalist," he said. "If you have the team together, feeling good about the job they do, that equates to strong guest satisfaction, and that equates to a reasonable profit."
Gault is widely praised for his focus on the resort's 13,000 employees. He frequently gets into the parks to meet with them, and regularly holds lunch meetings with them. The company reported that employee surveys find job satisfaction is now at its highest levels ever.
"I've never worked with an executive that I had more admiration for than he. He loves employees, works very closely with them," Williams said.
Davis, Williams said, has a lot in common with Gault.
"He's absolutely top drawer," Williams said. "Both of them stress fundamentals. Both of them put the employees first."
Both began their careers at SeaWorld, and Davis worked for Gault for a while at SeaWorld Ohio in the early 1980s. Davis called Gault "one of the icons of the industry."
"Bob is a great teacher and I learned an awful lot from him," Davis said.
Davis, 60, led SeaWorld of Florida from 1988 to 1997, then was transferred to SeaWorld of California. In 2003, he joined Vivendi Universal as managing director of the Universal Mediterranea theme park resort in Spain. But Vivendi sold that resort and Davis moved on to run a Six Flags park in California.
He left that park in June, and he and his wife, Becky, moved back to their home in Orlando.
"I couldn't be happier," Davis said.
Scott Powers can be reached at spowers@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5441.
Universal's president to retire
Bob Gault helped lead the Orlando resort through the tourism slump after 9-11.
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 3, 2006
ADVERTISEMENTS
Bob Gault, who led Universal Orlando through tough tourism times following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, then a couple of boom years, then another slide, is retiring as the theme park resort's president Dec. 5.
Bill Davis, a former SeaWorld of Florida general manager, will replace him, becoming the next chief operating officer of Universal's resort with two of the world's largest theme parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, the CityWalk entertainment district and three resort hotels.
Gault, 62, announced Monday that he is retiring to move back to San Diego, to be near his grandchildren, sail, fish and travel with his wife, Shannon.
He said he has mixed feelings about retiring. But he said he is proud that Universal Orlando rebounded from two slow years following the Sept. 11 attacks to a record attendance in 2004, a record profit in 2005 and what he said are record employee-satisfaction levels today.
"I think I was at the right place at the right time," he said.
His boss, Universal Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Williams, agreed, calling him a "consummate professional."
"There was no better leader for this time than Bob Gault," Williams said.
Yet that time may have ended, said industry consultant Dennis Speigel.
Universal's gate slid through 2005 and the first part of this year, despite numerous promotions and ticket deals. Universal's last financial report, covering the three months ending July 2, showed progress, but the parks' attendance still lagged well behind 2004 levels.
"Something had to be done," Speigel said. "I think Bob said, 'Hey, it's time for me to go.' "
Gault started at a difficult time. He became interim president in November 2001, just weeks into the tourism market collapse that followed Sept. 11. Then, just as the market looked as if it had recovered in 2004, an unprecedented flurry of hurricanes blew through Florida and the Gulf Coast, giving tourists new jitters.
Also, early in his tenure, Universal Studios' parent company, Vivendi Universal, ran into financial and legal problems and put its theme parks on the market. Years of uncertainty about ownership and capital spending followed, even after NBC bought Universal Studios in 2004.
In Gault's five years, Universal added few attractions. There are just two major new shows, Shrek 4-D and Fear Factor Live, and one major new ride, Revenge of the Mummy -- The Ride, and all replaced old attractions. This year, Universal opened a nightclub, a restaurant, a children's train ride, and a fresh summer night show, Universal 360.
Despite the drop in attendance in 2005, the theme park company managed a record profit of $35.3 million.
Gault credited what he called a strong team of leaders and employees, and quality attractions. He said he stuck to fundamentals -- pleasing employees and guests and controlling costs.
"I'm a fundamentalist," he said. "If you have the team together, feeling good about the job they do, that equates to strong guest satisfaction, and that equates to a reasonable profit."
Gault is widely praised for his focus on the resort's 13,000 employees. He frequently gets into the parks to meet with them, and regularly holds lunch meetings with them. The company reported that employee surveys find job satisfaction is now at its highest levels ever.
"I've never worked with an executive that I had more admiration for than he. He loves employees, works very closely with them," Williams said.
Davis, Williams said, has a lot in common with Gault.
"He's absolutely top drawer," Williams said. "Both of them stress fundamentals. Both of them put the employees first."
Both began their careers at SeaWorld, and Davis worked for Gault for a while at SeaWorld Ohio in the early 1980s. Davis called Gault "one of the icons of the industry."
"Bob is a great teacher and I learned an awful lot from him," Davis said.
Davis, 60, led SeaWorld of Florida from 1988 to 1997, then was transferred to SeaWorld of California. In 2003, he joined Vivendi Universal as managing director of the Universal Mediterranea theme park resort in Spain. But Vivendi sold that resort and Davis moved on to run a Six Flags park in California.
He left that park in June, and he and his wife, Becky, moved back to their home in Orlando.
"I couldn't be happier," Davis said.
Scott Powers can be reached at spowers@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5441.
