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Brown out, Noland in as accesso CEO
Technology solutions provider accesso Technology Group announced on Friday that Royce Paul Noland Jr, president and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), would succeed Steve Brown as its chief executive officer, and is expected to join the Board of accesso on 9 April.
The AIM-traded firm confirmed Brown would step down from the accesso board at the same time as Noland's arrival, but would continue to serve as an advisor to both Noland and the board throughout 2018.
It described Noland as a "leader" in the leisure industry, who in his current role at IAAPA headed the largest international trade association for amusement facilities and attractions worldwide.
Prior to starting that role in 2013, he acted in a number of senior executive roles with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts during a 16-year tenure, where he reportedly championed major growth initiatives across the company's domestic theme parks and resorts.
"During this time Paul gained extensive operational leadership experience while serving as Walt Disney World's senior vice president, finance, planning, and business development," the accesso board explained.
In other executive roles at Disney, he also oversaw the resort's revenue management, ticketing, and pricing functions.
Prior to his time at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, he spent more than a dozen years in leadership roles with Marriott International, where he focussed on optimising revenue across the company's then-900 hotels.
Noland would step down from his existing role at IAAPA to focus on his new role at accesso.
Steve Brown assumed his current role at accesso in May 2016, after serving for three years as the group's chief operating officer.
He was stepping down from the CEO position, having established what the board described as a culture of operational excellence, and overseen an expansion in the group's global activities and service offering.
"We thank Steve for the outstanding contribution he has made to accesso's prosperity during his tenure," said executive chairman Tom Burnet.
"His leadership, vision and drive have been fundamental to the creation of today's global and integrated accesso and I have enjoyed working with him enormously."
Burnet said that Brown's decision to stay on as an advisor to Noland and the board would ensure a smooth transition.
"We believe that Paul's unmatched track-record, industry knowledge, relationships and passion for excellence make him exactly the right person to lead the next phase of our growth.
"I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to execute on our ambitious plans," Burnet added.
Steve Brown, the outgoing CEO, added that he was "excited" to see the company he had helped to build continue forward under the leadership of a person he had worked with for more than 20 years.
"I can think of no one better suited to lead accesso to a position of international prominence than Paul Noland."
Paul Noland himself said he was "thrilled" to be joining accesso at what he called an "exciting time" in its development.
"The accesso team has built a fantastic business and I look forward to bringing my experience to bear in driving it forward.
"My background across the industry gives me a full sense of the opportunity Accesso has before it, and with the combination of outstanding technology and fantastic people already in place, I'm full of excitement about the future," Noland concluded.