March 25, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Six Flags, owner of Dorney Park and Walter Kingdom, has appointed Richard Haddrill as executive chairman of its board of directors.
The company said Haddrill’s role is to improve profitability and promote long-term growth.
That moves come days after Jana Partners, an investor group, asked Six Flags to explore a sale and to appoint a new head of the board, according to Reuters.
Six Flags has been wallowing since its 2024 combination with Cedar Fair, former owner of Dorney. The company has blamed bad weather for poor financial results. It is also burdened with debt. Six has agreed to sell seven properties. Dorney in South Whitehall was not one of the seven in the sale. Six Flags also owns Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey.
Marilyn Spiegel, who was head of the board, will now be lead independent director. An independent director is one who is not also an employee of the company.
“Over the last several months, Six Flags has taken decisive actions to improve performance,” according to a press release today. That included appointing John Reilly as chief executive in December.
Earlier this month, the company named National Football League player Travis Kelce, who is affiliated with Jana Partners, as a brand ambassador. Kelce plays tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and is engaged to singer Taylor Swift. His brother Jason was a center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Haddrill has held executive roles at Scientific Games (now known as Light & Wonder) and Bally Technologies.
Shares in Six Flags (NYSE:FUN) were up 23 cents to $17.27 at 10:44 a.m. today. They are still at less than half of their 52-week high of $39.08.
Six Flags Entertainment Appoints Richard Haddrill as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
March 25, 2026
CHARLOTTE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: FUN) (“Six Flags” or the “Company”), North America’s largest regional amusement park operator, today announced the appointment of Richard “Dick” Haddrill as Executive Chairman of the Six Flags Board of Directors, effective immediately. With Mr. Haddrill’s appointment, Marilyn Spiegel will serve as Lead Independent Director.
Over the last several months, Six Flags has taken decisive actions to improve performance, including appointing John Reilly as CEO in December 2025, accelerating the Company’s portfolio optimization and improving its capital structure. Haddrill’s appointment continues Six Flags’ efforts to refresh the composition of its Board and reinforce its commitment to ensuring the Board has the right mix of skills to oversee the Company’s successful evolution. With Haddrill’s appointment, Six Flags has added seven new directors to the Board since last summer.
Haddrill is a renowned public company executive with decades of experience in the entertainment and leisure industries. He previously served as Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Scientific Games (now Light & Wonder), a leading provider of gaming and entertainment solutions and services. Before that, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Bally Technologies, where he led the company through significant growth and strategic transformation, culminating in its acquisition by Scientific Games. As Executive Chairman at Six Flags, Haddrill will focus on improving profitability while implementing strategic actions to drive long-term growth.
“Dick is a proven leader with a strong track record of delivering outsized returns for shareholders,” said Spiegel. “His strategic mindset, steady leadership, and decades of experience scaling and optimizing businesses will be invaluable as we continue to improve performance across the portfolio and enhance the guest experience. Dick’s appointment reflects the Board’s commitment to thoughtful refreshment to effectively oversee management’s efforts to unlock the full value of Six Flags’ world-class portfolio.”
“On behalf of the management team and associates, we welcome Dick to Six Flags,” said Reilly. “We look forward to working with him as we sharpen our focus on profitability and drive value creation for our guests and shareholders.”
“Six Flags is an incredible business, and I believe in the steps John Reilly and the management team are taking to strengthen execution and realize the full potential of the irreplaceable Six Flags portfolio,” said Haddrill. “I am excited to work closely with John, the rest of the Six Flags Board, and the management team to continue building on their progress.”
With Haddrill’s addition, the Board will temporarily expand to 11 members. As previously disclosed, Jennifer Mason will not stand for re-election when her term expires at the Company’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, at which point the Board size will revert to 10 members.
About Richard Haddrill
Richard Haddrill is the Founder and CEO of The Groop, LLC, an investment and advisory company, and founder and Vice Chairman of Generator Partners, an alternative energy and home electrification company. He was previously Executive Vice Chairman of Scientific Games, where he oversaw the integration of Bally Technologies and the expansion and evolution of Scientific Games’ portfolio. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Bally Technologies, where he increased revenue from $550 million to $1.2 billion and the share price by 7x over the eight years prior to Bally’s acquisition by Scientific Games in 2014. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Manhattan Associates, Inc., where he increased the company’s revenues by 150% and its share price by 8x in a five-year span. Haddrill has served on numerous private and public company boards and, earlier in his career, was a Partner and Managing Partner at Ernst & Young, where he served as National Director of Entrepreneurial Services. He earned a BS in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: FUN) is North America’s largest regional amusement-resort operator, with 26 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties across 16 states in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Company also manages an amusement park in Saudi Arabia. Focused on its purpose of making people happy, Six Flags provides fun, immersive and memorable experiences to millions of guests every year with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks, resorts and a portfolio of beloved intellectual property such as Looney Tunes®, DC Comics® and PEANUTS®.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements contained in this news release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Sectio
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