# Marc Swanson

> Marc G. Swanson is the Orlando-based CEO of United Parks & Resorts, formerly SeaWorld Entertainment. A CPA educated at Purdue and DePaul, he advanced through park finance, accounting and CFO roles before becoming permanent CEO in May 2021. His tenure includes the opening of Sesame Place San Diego, SeaWorld’s licensed expansion to Abu Dhabi and the parent company’s 2024 name change.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at United Parks & Resorts Inc.
- **Organizations:** United Parks & Resorts Inc. (formerly SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.), SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Busch Entertainment Corporation, Sesame Place, Anheuser-Busch, Orlando Science Center
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Purdue University, Master of Business Administration, DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
- **Known for:** Advanced from park finance and corporate accounting to permanent CEO., Led the company during fiscal 2022, when it reported $1.7312 billion revenue and $291.2 million net income., CEO during the 2022 opening of Sesame Place San Diego and the 2023 opening of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi through its Miral partnership.

## Career timeline

- **1999** — Earned his MBA at DePaul after studying at night while working in Chicago insurance finance.
- **2004-2008** — Vice President of Finance at Sesame Place.
- **2008-2011** — Corporate Controller at Busch Entertainment Corporation; moved to Orlando in 2008.
- **2011-2012** — Vice President, Performance Management and Corporate Controller at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
- **2012-2017** — Chief Accounting Officer; also served as interim CFO from June to September 2015.
- **2017** — Appointed CFO and Treasurer in August.
- **2019** — Interim CEO from September to November.
- **2020** — Returned as interim CEO in April.
- **2021** — Permanent CEO appointment announced May 6.
- **2024** — Continued as CEO when the parent became United Parks & Resorts on February 12; NYSE ticker became PRKS on February 13.
- **2026** — Remained CEO following Kyle Miller’s September appointment as President.

## Achievements

- Advanced from park finance and corporate accounting to permanent CEO.
- Led the company during fiscal 2022, when it reported $1.7312 billion revenue and $291.2 million net income.
- CEO during the 2022 opening of Sesame Place San Diego and the 2023 opening of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi through its Miral partnership.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — United Parks promoted Kyle Miller to President and Scott Maupin to Chief Parks Operating Officer; Swanson continued as CEO.
- **2026-08** — First-half results reported 9.3 million guests and $761.6 million revenue, both below the prior-year period.
- **2026-02** — Swanson acknowledged that fiscal 2025 results fell short of expectations and called for stronger cost management.

## Links

- Website: https://unitedparks.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-swanson-cpa-0ba8b988

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/marc-swanson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23