On Monday, April 28, Andrew Wexler, CEO of , spoke to aspiring theme park leaders at Rosen College as a guest of The Future Theme Park Leaders Association. The room was filled with a variety of students pursuing careers in theme parks, computer science, engineering and business, hailing from as far as Dubai. With the recent launch of Rosen Collegeβs , Wexlerβs words provided timely, valuable insight on executive level leadership in the entertainment industry.
Wexler was appointed CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment in March 2015. Prior to this, he was the companyβs chief financial officer for eight years. He told the audience that as CFO of the company, he jokingly referred to himself as βThe CF-Noβ because while outstanding guest and employee experiences are vital, the company must also be financially secure. As CEO, his role has dramatically changed and he now refers to himself as the βChief Encouraging Officer.β
βI truly believe the more opportunities we give people to respect and love each other, the happier this world will be,β said Wexler.
While reflecting on his career path, Wexler emphasized three pieces of advice for young professionals:
1. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint. You donβt have to be CEO by 24.
2. Integrity cannot be taken, only lost. Thereβs only one person in the world who can take your integrity and thatβs you.
3. Focus on your purpose, your why. Great leaders have one thing in common; they donβt focus on what theyβre doing, but why theyβre doing it. Once you know why youβre doing what you do, it gives it purpose.
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