Deborah Thomas steps aside from CEO role at Ardent Leisure to focus on Dreamworld recovery

DEBORAH Thomas is moving out of the top job at Dreamworld owner Ardent Leisure, ending a two-year stint as head of the Gold Coast theme park operator.

Deborah Thomas, former chief executive officer at Ardent Leisure, is stepping aside to focus on the recovery of its theme park operations after the Dreamworld tragedy.

DEBORAH Thomas is moving out of the top job at Dreamworld owner Ardent Leisure, ending a two-year stint as head of the Gold Coast theme park operator.

The shift will see her take on a new role primarily revitalising Ardent’s beleaguered theme park operations.

Former Nine Entertainment finance boss Simon Kelly will assume the job of Ardent CEO from July 1.

Ms Thomas will then become chief customer officer.

She will focus on the company’s Australasian operations, with particular focus on the “recovery and revitalisation of Dreamworld”.

Ardent shares, which have plunged around a third since the Dreamworld tragedy, closed 3¢, or 1.49 per cent higher, at $2.04.

The shake-up comes six months after the tragic death of four people at Dreamworld when a ride overturned, last October.

Ms Thomas initially came in for criticism of her handling of the job after the deaths. The move ends a sometimes turbulent time at the helm for the former Women’s Weekly editor.

“It’s been a great two years,” she said yesterday.

“However, it has been turbulent since Dreamworld

“To that point the company achieved really great results but since the tragedy it was a terrible, terrible time.”

Ms Thomas said she initiated the change to allow her to focus on revitalising the company’s theme parks.

She joined Ardent in 2013, became CEO in April 2015 and oversaw a review of operations and the sale of its health clubs and marina assets.

The company intends to focus on becoming a pure-play global entertainment group, focusing on the US market.

Ardent, which operates the Main Event family centres in the US, is changing its name to Main Event Entertainment Group.

Ardent said Ms Thomas’ priority will be “the ongoing transformation” of the theme parks business, group marketing and corporate affairs. She will retain a seat on the board.

Ardent chairman George Venardos said: “During Deborah’s leadership our company has experienced an unprecedented level of reorientation and change and has positioned itself strongly for solid future growth,”.

Before holding the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer roles at Nine Entertainment, Mr Kelly also held senior executive roles at Goodman Fielder, Aristocrat Leisure and Virgin Australia.

Ardent said Mr Kelly will accept a lower base salary of $600,000 for the first three years, less than the $670,000 Ms Thomas received last year.

However, this is in lieu of a $1.5 million share grant which he cannot sell until July 1, 2020.

He also will be entitled to incentives worth up to $950,000.

“We are pleased to announce this significant boost to our management team,” Mr Venardos said.

“Simon, who will transition to the role over the next few months with the support of Deborah, brings to the group a wealth of experience in the management of multinational operations, financial control and the entertainment sector.”

Separately, Ardent’s CFO Richard Johnson has left the group to return to the UK for family reasons.

He had been Ardent’s finance boss for more than 12 years.

“We are sorry to lose Richard but we completely understand and support his desire to return with his family to his native UK,” Mr Venardos said.