ABOUT US

Scott Demerau serves as Falcon’s Beyond’s executive chairman of the board. Scott steered Falcon’s through its successful de-SPAC transaction and listing as a publicly traded company on Nasdaq. His focus is on working closely with the leadership team to shape the company’s long-term strategic vision, guide the board, drive the company’s growth trajectory, and create ongoing value for stakeholders and investors.

Previous to his current role, Scott was chairman and CEO of Katmandu Group, where he oversaw the growth and expansion of Katmandu Parks.

As co-founder of the first Katmandu Park in Mallorca, Spain, Scott was instrumental in establishing a joint venture relationship with Melia Hotels International. In 2019, Katmandu formed a strategic partnership with Falcon’s Creative Group to expand Katmandu’s original IP, master plan new parks, and develop custom rides complete with original IP content. In 2021, Katmandu and Falcon’s Creative Group merged to form Falcon’s Beyond.

Scott’s career in the family entertainment industry began in 1985 when he and his wife and business partner, Juli Demerau, co-founded Fantasy Golf Development Company to develop, build, and operate the Mountasia Family Fun Centers, a multi-attraction FEC chain of $2M-$7M projects that spanned 24 locations and went public in 1993 as Mountasia Entertainment International (MEI). Scott guided MEI through a successful IPO, which was 10x oversubscribed, achieved a PE over 70x, and began trading publicly on Nasdaq.

Within a year of the IPO, MEI acquired the Malibu Grand Prix IP, formerly owned by Warner Communications. With 25 racing-centric amusement parks, the acquisition doubled MEI’s portfolio of owned locations. Over a two-year period, a major consolidation program reshaped the company into a network of corporately owned and managed LBEs. This company became the largest LBE operator chain in the U.S. before selling to a private venture group.

Scott holds a degree in business from Ferris State University in Michigan.

Cecil D. Magpuri is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he directs the company’s endeavors and establishes a road map for the future. He maintains high-level oversight of all significant creative and operational developments. Cecil is also a member of the Falcon’s Beyond Board of Directors.

Before becoming CEO of Falcon’s Beyond, Cecil served as the president and chief creative officer of Falcon’s Treehouse, a company he co-founded in 2000 that was later rebranded as Falcon’s Creative Group and expanded to include Falcon’s Digital Media and Falcon’s Licensing. He molded it into a well-respected and award-winning themed entertainment design firm that still collaborates with some of the biggest names in the business to produce innovative guest experiences. Cecil personally led the design efforts for new technology products and attraction systems, which resulted in dozens of patents.

Prior to spinning up his own company, Cecil was the director of attraction development for Clarity Studios, where he assembled a team of professionals to provide turnkey attraction design services to theme parks and corporate clients. Previously, Cecil was a creative director at Universal Studios, where he developed the initial concepts for two major attractions, one of which was Twister: Ride it Out! Stephen Spielberg was Cecil’s creative guardian on the Twister project. Cecil played a pivotal role in the development of these landmark projects while also being responsible for the creative outcome. He was named co-inventor and was awarded patents for both attractions. While at Universal Studios, Cecil collaborated with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer to conceptualize a brick-and-mortar experience based on the captivating story of Apollo 13.

In the early 1990s, Cecil worked under the tutelage of the legendary and Academy Award-winning Don Iwerks at Iwerks Entertainment, where he held a senior project designer position. It was here that Cecil became interested in combining cutting-edge technology with immersive storytelling to create unique guest experiences.

For three consecutive years, Cecil was named to the Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencers list, joining the likes of Kathleen Kennedy, Bob Iger, and Joe Rohde. In 2010, Cecil received the Asian Heritage Award for Innovation and Technology. He is an advisory board member for the University of Central Florida’s Themed Experience MFA program. Cecil is an active member of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), the Visual Effects Society (VES), and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

Cecil received his Bachelor of Arts in applied arts and sciences with an emphasis on environmental design and a distinction in art from San Diego State University in 1991.

Yvette Whittaker is the chief corporate officer of Falcon’s Beyond. She consistently taps into the best ways to manage and streamline processes for business operations, scheduling, budgeting, and client relations. Her main responsibilities are setting and enforcing the company’s policies and guidelines, acting as a client liaison, determining the corporate strategy, and helping to maintain the public image. Additionally, as the key person responsible for hiring decisions, growing Falcon’s staff, and retaining talent, Yvette has helped the company double in size in the last year. When the company expanded into the Philippines, Yvette spearheaded the effort, leading every aspect of opening that operation, from finding the most strategic location, developing the team of local business advisors, hiring each employee, setting corporate policies, and establishing the new group’s culture.

Yvette was integral to the process of taking Falcon’s Beyond public. Because of her track record at Falcon’s and the trust she has earned, the board of directors appointed her as an executive officer of the company.

Prior to becoming the CCO, Yvette was the executive vice president of operations for Falcon’s Creative Group. As a founding member of Falcon’s, Yvette was integral to the success of the startup. Working alongside the dynamic husband and wife team of Cecil and Marty Magpuri, Yvette utilized her skills as a task master, communicator, and business manager to help lift the company off the ground. She immediately made her mark on the operations side of the business, innately understanding what it would take to guarantee that the small company would not only meet but exceed their own expectations. Because of her background, she has an uncanny ability to juggle multiple challenging projects at once while ensuring that each one receives the same attention, quality, and care that is synonymous with the Falcon’s name.

Yvette’s steady guidance paved the way for success on dozens of projects that Falcon’s produced. Four of those earned Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Curse of DarKastle, Dragon’s Treasure™ attraction, and Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Experience has given Yvette the gift of perspective. She is a pragmatic leader, always thinking two steps ahead in order to make the most informed decision possible. She puts herself in other people’s shoes to gauge how information is absorbed. Yvette is a caring and nurturing role model and an accomplished ambassador who inspires the entire Falcon’s Beyond team. In 2022, Yvette was named one of Blooloop’s Top 50 Theme Park Influencers. She is an active member of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

Jo Merrill is the chief financial officer for Falcon’s Beyond. She is responsible for economic forecasting and the financial health of the company. Jo oversees its capital structure and financial performance and addresses any issues within the overall financial picture.

Prior to joining Falcon’s Beyond, Jo served as CFO at Entertainment Technology Partners, an event services company based in Orlando, Florida. She refined and developed the group’s shared service offerings and was instrumental in driving ETP’s growth in both national and international markets.

Jo was the vice president of finance and corporate controller at Hard Rock International. She joined them during the purchase of the business by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and was primarily responsible for oversight of worldwide financial accounting, reporting, and integration of all Hard Rock worldwide businesses. She supported capital raises and helped expand the footprint of hotels, casinos, and restaurants into more than 70 countries.

As a senior manager at PwC, Jo worked on four continents, providing specialized audit and consulting services to primarily multi-national public companies. She spent several years working with PwC’s Global Capital Markets Group, a dedicated global team of professionals providing high-value advisory services to non-U.S. companies keen to enter the United States and other international capital markets.

Prior to joining PwC, Jo was a senior auditor at KPMG UK where she cut her financial teeth, becoming a chartered accountant in England and Wales and serving clients primarily in aerospace and manufacturing industries.

Jo earned her BSEng, Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath in England. While attending the prestigious research institution, she worked as a mechanical engineer at Rolls-Royce Aero Engines. Jo is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Bruce A. Brown is the chief legal officer & corporate secretary at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he is responsible for strategically advising and overseeing legal, compliance, enterprise risk management, and government relations for Falcon’s Beyond. Bruce also serves as a key advisor to the executive leadership team and the board of directors.

Prior to his current position, Bruce excelled in a multitude of executive roles including senior vice president & deputy general counsel for Hilton Grand Vacations, vice president and general counsel for Tupperware Brands, and vice president, associate general counsel & assistant secretary for Darden Restaurants, Inc. Bruce also held roles with World Fuel Services, NICE Systems, American Express Company, General Electric Company, and Xerox Corporation.

Bruce’s extensive legal expertise makes him a leader that Falcon’s will rely on as they continue to expand on the momentum of becoming a publicly listed company.

Bruce holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law. He currently serves on the board of directors of Community Legal Services located in Orlando, Florida, a not-for-profit organization that promotes equal access to justice.

Simon Hirst is the chief parks officer, operations & expansion of Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he leads global operations for parks & resorts entertainment experiences within the corporate portfolio, including but not limited to three key areas of responsibility: global park operations, expansion, and guest experience.

Previously, Simon served as senior vice president of development for Katmandu Group, an IP-driven company known for its innovative and award-winning model of immersive, small-footprint theme parks with resorts. In this role, he identified and spearheaded new development opportunities around the globe in a joint venture with Meliá Hotels International (MHI), and he personally led initiatives in Tenerife and Punta Cana. Before taking this role, Simon served as vice president of sales and operations for Producciones de Parques (PdP), the Spanish joint venture between Katmandu Group (Fun Stuff) and MHI.

Simon had previously served as general manager of Katmandu Park in Mallorca, where, along with operational and financial oversight, he was instrumental in merging the park with the Melia Sol Hotel to form Sol Katmandu Park & Resort (SKPR). SKPR quickly earned many awards and accolades during his tenure. Among these, SKPR was named in the European Hospitality Awards as the #1 hotel in Europe for innovation in service out of more than 100,000 hotels. Trivago Global named SKPR the #1 hotel in Spain for traveling with kids.

While leading SKPR, Simon developed partner relationships with top travel bureaus and personally led sales and marketing efforts throughout Europe. This work included developing the annual “Ultimate School Trip” to Katmandu through competitions organized within the UK in partnership with Jet2 Holidays.

Simon began his career in the tour and travel business as a holiday representative for Thomson Holidays in Mallorca. Over his career, he has managed entertainment complexes both front and back of house, including commercial operations, with oversight of several major tourist attractions in Mallorca.

Simon is fluent in English and Spanish, and he speaks conversational Catalán, a critical component of his work.

Jason Ambler is the president of content & innovation at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he spearheads new ideas, processes, content, and technologies, and oversees the management, creation, acquisition, and distribution of all content across our diverse portfolio, including film, television, gaming, digital media, and beyond. He also consults with the company’s executive management team about strategy, technology, and marketing.

Prior to his current position, Jason served as the president of digital media for Falcon’s Creative Group. He managed all of the studio’s media projects, which included live action, CG animation, visual effects, interactive projects, and augmented reality and virtual reality productions. His team’s work is featured in theme park attractions, live events, museums, special venues, and location-based entertainment centers all over the world.

Before joining Falcon’s, Jason was the director of special projects at Digital Domain Media Group, where he worked with investor relations, marketing, commercials, Digital Domain Tactical (military simulation), and the Digital Domain Institute. He also contributed to visual effects on blockbuster films such as Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Smurfs, and Thor.

Early in his career, Jason co-founded Eclectico Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based film production company specializing in films, commercials, and music videos for celebrity clientele. Jason worked on several award-winning independent features with worldwide distribution. He was producer and post-production supervisor on Immortal Island and executive producer and visual effects supervisor on Dead Dad. During these years, Jason served a multitude of productions in a variety of capacities, including producer, director, cinematographer, editor, colorist, sound designer, and visual effects supervisor.

Jason is an active member of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). He has served on the advisory board for the Gasparilla Film Festival and is currently the head of the Visual Effects Society’s Florida chapter.

Jason earned a BFA from Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts, where he was a member of the Phi Sigma Theta National Honors Society.

As president of Falcon’s Attractions, Dave Mauck leads a team of some of the most talented experts in the themed entertainment industry. He oversees the development, deployment, and ongoing service support of some of the most sophisticated ride systems and attractions at leading theme parks around the world. He plays a key role in business development, new product development, operational management, driving financial results, and project execution.

With a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, Dave is recognized as one of the founding team members of Oceaneering Entertainment Systems (OES), a division of Oceaneering International Inc. Throughout his career he has led teams in engineering, design, project engineering, project management and division management.

Before joining Falcon’s Beyond, Dave served as the vice president and general manager of OES, where he helped establish the company’s stellar reputation as a trusted provider of advanced ride and show systems to the world’s top theme park developers and operators. OES’ trailblazing legacy includes the creation of complex and award-winning rides, show systems, equipment, and custom engineering solutions. Under Dave’s guidance, OES received 12 prestigious Thea Awards from the Themed Entertainment Association for its ride & show systems.  These include:  The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®️ and Transformers: The Ride 3D™️ at Universal Orlando Resort, Justice League™️: Battle for Metropolis at Six Flags, and the Shuttle Launch Experience®️ at the Kennedy Space Center.

Dave began his career with Oceaneering International Inc. as a staff mechanical engineer. After years of working with remotely operated undersea vehicles (ROVs) in deep ocean search and salvage work, Dave transitioned into the themed entertainment industry when tapped to adapt his underwater design and offshore expertise for the Universal Studios Florida JAWS project.

Dave has served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy Reserve and earned his U.S. Coast Guard Third Mate Unlimited Tonnage/Horsepower license in the U.S.  Merchant Marine. Passionate about environmental stewardship, Dave has served as the president of the board of supervisors of the Ranger Drainage District since June 2007.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree with a focus in naval architecture and marine engineering from the State University of New York Maritime College.

Jennifer Smeresky is the Executive Vice President of Finance for Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, she oversees the company’s financial records and projects future financial investments and plans.

Until her recent appointment with Falcon’s Beyond, Jennifer served various roles in Falcon’s Creative Group’s accounting office. She was hired as a Senior Accountant and then promoted to Controller before taking on the responsibility of Vice President of Finance, a position she held for more than six years. In this role, Jennifer carefully tracked the profitability of each project. She supervised a vast range of accounting functions and applied them to the considerations of master planning, venue and attraction design, and media production.

Jennifer came to Falcon’s with intensive accounting experience under her belt, logging time with Westgate Resorts and Scient’x USA, Inc. Besides being a skilled accountant, she has expertise in marketing, human resources, office administration, and contracting. Falcon’s Beyond benefits greatly from Jennifer’s attention to minute details and her insight into the complexities of financial planning.

Jennifer received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Central Florida’s College of Business Administration.

Daryl White is the executive vice president of global licensing and business development at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he is responsible for sourcing licensing opportunities as well as nurturing existing relationships with our partners and clients. While championing the day-to-day operations of Falcon’s intellectual property portfolio, Daryl also identifies, develops, coordinates, and implements business development plans designed to attract new opportunities. Daryl represents Falcon’s Beyond at virtual and in-person trade shows and events to connect with potential buyers and clients. He served in the same capacity for Falcon’s Creative Group for nearly four years before officially moving into his role at Falcon’s Beyond.

Prior to joining Falcon’s, Daryl served as president of CAVU Designwerks, a company he co-owned that specializes in ride system development. Prior to CAVU, he was director of engineering for Dynamic Attractions’ parts and services division. His responsibilities included managing projects and business relationships while collaborating with the sales team to develop and present amusement ride proposals to clients worldwide.

Early in his career, Daryl started Revolutionary Performance and Machine LLC. He managed daily operations and led research and development to create high-horsepower racing engines for record-setting drag race, circle-track, and land-speed racing cars worldwide.

Over his decades-long career, Daryl has developed projects for many clients, including Sea World, Lionsgate Entertainment World, Warner Brothers World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Genting SkyWorlds, and Futuroscope, to name a few.

Daryl earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering technology and then a master’s in engineering technology from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to his traditional schooling, Daryl furthered his business acumen by becoming a certified Six Sigma Green Belt. He is an active member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). In 2023, Daryl was named one of Blooloop’s Top 50 Theme Park Influencers.

Toni Caracciolo is the executive vice president of marketing and branding at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, she is responsible for directing and amplifying Falcon’s company brand awareness through its multiple projects, initiatives, and experiences among its three core business units: Falcon’s Creative Group, Falcon’s Beyond Destinations, and Falcon’s Beyond Brands. Toni also works in conjunction with the investor relations and franchise management teams as she leads the strategic planning for marketing and execution across overall brand management, communications, social media, and digital marketing.

Prior to her current position, Toni served as the vice president of global marketing at Visit Orlando, the official tourism association for Central Florida, where she orchestrated multiple successful integrated marketing and promotional campaigns that helped create record-breaking visitation and economic value for the region.

Before Visit Orlando, Toni served as the vice president of sales and marketing at Sea World Parks & Entertainment Inc. (SEA), where her multifaceted career included overseeing all marketing and sales strategic planning, brand management, project implementation, and result analysis across the three SEA theme park Orlando brands: SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove. While holding several leadership roles on both the corporate and parks teams, she worked with all the company brands, including Busch Gardens and Sesame Place. Toni led a plethora of key marketing and brand management campaigns, which included marketing the company’s largest expansion in history, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. The experiential, multi-faceted campaign won multiple prestigious industry awards, including the International Hermes Creative Award and the Flagler Award.

Toni has served on several boards of directors, including the executive board of Harbor House of Central Florida, Visit Florida, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. She is an active member of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of South Lake. Toni serves as an MBA mentor and guest lecturer at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality and is a member of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

Toni earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.

As the executive vice president of technology at Falcon’s Beyond, Saham Ali leads the charge not only in orchestrating the technology infrastructure that powers our entire organization but also in the continual development of novel products and burgeoning technologies. He explores and challenges next-gen emerging tech to ensure that Falcon’s remains at the forefront of innovation within the industry.

Previously, Saham held the same role at Falcon’s Creative Group. Prior to that, he was the director of IT at the DAVE School, where he handled and developed solutions for the visual effects school’s IT requirements.

Before his tenure at the DAVE School, Saham served as the IT/systems manager at Red Earth VFX Studios. There, he designed, implemented, and maintained servers and workstations for artists and staff working on VFX for primetime television shows and films. His contributions include notable television series such as Outsourced, Hawaii 5-0, and Star Trek: New Voyages, among others.

With extensive experience as a technology leader across various organizations and sectors, Saham is adept at bringing together disparate perspectives into a unified vision, guiding his team to realize that vision effectively. He possesses an exceptional ability to communicate across different levels of involvement, working closely with leadership to plan, design, and synchronize the technology infrastructure with the company’s goals. Saham’s background in VFX and IT, comprehensive knowledge of HPC and global networks, experience in electronic and mechanical engineering, coupled with his years of hands-on production experience, equip him with the skills and insight to elevate Falcon’s Beyond to new heights.

Saham holds a degree in computer engineering and is an alumnus of The DAVE School. He was among the few selected globally to participate in Epic Games’ Unreal Engine Virtual Production Fellowship program. He actively engages with professional organizations like the Visual Effects Society (VES), the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), and SIGGRAPH. His work has been featured in numerous industry publications, such as 3D World, POST Magazine, Theme Park Insider, and Orlando Business Journal.

As the executive vice president of creative development for Falcon’s Beyond, Eric Calderon focuses on IP expansion for entertainment content and consumer products. He leads the development process, guiding IPs through the various stages of all transmedia realms. Eric oversees talent acquisition and negotiates contracts for above-the-line talent as well as studios and production companies. He strategizes with the Falcon’s Beyond executive team on pitch content, presentations, and sales efforts.

Prior to joining Falcon’s Beyond, Eric served as SVP at Octopie Studios where he spearheaded their creative development efforts. He teamed up with the Russo Brothers, of The Avengers fame, on the TV series Magic: The Gathering for Netflix.

Eric’s animation career has spanned three decades, and during that time, he has worked for several high-profile companies, including Warner Bros. Animation, 20th Century Fox Film, Sega, and MTV Animation. He also ran his own independent production company called Wild Boar Media and led international creative business development at Japanese anime studio Gonzo Digimation Holding. Eric has served in various capacities such as writer, show runner, director, and development executive.

Eric has more than a dozen major animated TV series credits. He was the co-producer/writer for Afro Samurai starring Samuel L. Jackson, and he served as showrunner for Transformers: The Combiner Wars and its sequel, Titans Return. Additionally, Eric has been a producer and/or consultant on kids’ TV series and franchises like Slugterra (Disney XD / Nerd Corps Entertainment) and Sonic: The Hedgehog (Sega Corp / Cartoon Network). He also co-created and published an original graphic novel with Samuel L. Jackson called Cold Space.

Eric created and hosts an industry-focused educational YouTube channel called Surviving Animation.

Eric earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in eastern religion and mythology studies from William & Mary.

Crystal Fahmie is the vice president of operations & human capital at Falcon’s Beyond. As the steward of Falcon’s most important commodity, its human capital, Crystal has established herself as an indispensable figure within the organization. She is the go-to advocate for the extended Falcon’s team, supporting employee retention, engagement, and satisfaction.

In her capacity, Crystal plays a pivotal part in talent acquisition and made significant contributions when Falcon’s expanded into the Philippines. Additionally, she oversees Falcon’s facilities and manages all administrative staff, ensuring the seamless operation of the company.

Crystal’s journey at Falcon’s began as an accountant. Her exceptional efforts extended beyond her designated role, leading to her promotion as Falcon’s operations manager. In this position, she assumed responsibility for the overall flow and efficiency of the organization, especially as the company undertook increasingly ambitious projects.

Recognizing her undeniably positive impact on the studio, Crystal was further promoted to director of business operations. Her multifaceted involvement in Falcon’s success, including her role in helping Falcon’s Beyond become a publicly listed company on Nasdaq, reflects her dedication and effectiveness.

Crystal received a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from the University of Florida.

Juan Lorenzo is the vice president of finance at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, Juan oversees the financial systems, including the system strategy to create a cohesive ecosystem across departments. He is also responsible for streamlining the day-to-day accounting practices through process improvement and system implementation. Juan creates financial reporting packages that inform the executive team’s decision-making process, drafts financial statements, and develops internal financial control procedures. Juan is also responsible for managing the accounting and finance functions of the company as well as working closely with the finance teams of our JV partners. Juan’s diligence and innovation supports Falcon’s steady growth trajectory.

Prior to joining Falcon’s Beyond, Juan worked for many years in the hospitality industry and live events space. He managed international teams, significantly improved business processes, and established and maintained financial policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems for multiple brands and joint ventures across the globe.

With Hard Rock International, Juan worked as an A/R coordinator, financial analyst, and franchise finance manager. In these roles, he performed process analysis, managed a team of direct reports, developed, prepared, and presented budgets, financial statements, and reporting packages, and directed all accounting activities for more than 150 franchised and licensed units across 74 countries. His responsibilities included development and documentation of standard operating procedures and accounting policies and controls, management of receivables for all licensed units, and financial guidance of new partner acquisition decisions.

With Entertainment Technology Partners, Juan oversaw accounting operations and tax matters for multiple brands across the US and UK, maintained a suite of financial applications, managed US and UK-based teams, created project plans for software and process implementation, and supervised onboarding of both domestic and international entities.

Juan received his Bachelor of Science in business management from Western Governors University.

Mike Hightower is an executive advisor at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he provides strategic guidance for Falcon’s theme park and entertainment ventures, particularly in the development and integration of innovative ride and show systems. Mike also advises the business on potential acquisitions, assists with client relations, and helps enhance Falcon’s network within the industry by building new relationships with key influential stakeholders and potential clients and partners that can help contribute to the continued growth and success of the company. 

Mike began his career as an engineering project manager in the aerospace and defense contracting industry for Eastport International (now Oceaneering Entertainment Systems), where he delivered the sharks for the Universal Studios Florida JAWS II attraction.  

In 1995, Mike joined Universal Parks and Resorts, where he spent the next 28 years of his career shaping the themed entertainment industry and championing innovative parks, lands, attractions, and experiences from concept through opening for world-class theme parks across the globe.  

Mike’s leadership was a driving force behind the innovative design, engineering, and ambitious expansion of Universal’s destinations and properties, including the opening of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley, as well as Universal Studios Japan. Mike played an integral role in the development process and was involved in all aspects of planning, design, and delivery of Universal theme parks, resorts, restaurant and retail venues, and new ventures ranging from Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, Spain, Dubai, Singapore, and Beijing. 

In early 2022, Mike transitioned out of his role as senior vice president, executive project director at Universal to become president of Universal Creative, a role he held until April of 2023.  

Mike received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University and Stanford University, respectively. 

David Schaefer serves as an executive advisor at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he supports ongoing projects and works closely with the Falcon’s Beyond C-suite to help shape strategic goals and drive growth through new business opportunities.

Before transitioning to his role as advisor, David served as chief development officer of Falcon’s Beyond and vice president of Falcon’s Creative Group, where he managed the efforts of the Falcon’s design team. His enthusiasm and critical eye, combined with his design and mechanical engineering expertise, expanded the already legendary ability of Falcon’s to react to clients with supreme flexibility and efficiency.

Early in his career with Falcon’s, David took the lead on several complex, international efforts that resulted in prestigious recognition for the creative design firm, including the Thea award-winning Dragon’s Treasure™ attraction in Macau. David’s attention to detail throughout design and construction proved invaluable on the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey project. He served as a cornerstone manager for every facet, spearheading such crucial tasks as vendor management, vendor integration, and on-site show programming. For Aquarabia, Saudi Arabia’s first water theme park, David worked closely with Qiddiya’s stakeholders on the overall vision and led all master planning and attraction design efforts.

David received his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from The University of Wisconsin.