David Schaefer

David Schaefer is the chief development officer of Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he takes the lead on developing plans to grow the company through new business deals while managing existing client relationships. He also collaborates with the Falcon’s Beyond C-suite to determine the company’s goals, and he maintains close contact with the chief financial officer on budgets and costs.

David served as vice president of Falcon’s Creative Group, managing the efforts of the Falcon’s Treehouse 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 started his career as a project engineer at Skee Ball, Inc. where he took the lead in new product development. He also helped organize the implementation of a new manufacturing facility in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania.

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