Richard Zimmerman

Biography

Richard A. Zimmerman is President and CEO for Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and also serves as a Board Director. Richard has served as Cedar Fair’s President and CEO since January 2018 and was elected as a Board Director in April 2019. During his Cedar Fair tenure he accepted steadily increasing levels of responsibility since being named VP and General Manager of Kings Dominion near Richmond, Virginia, in 1998. In many ways, leading an amusement park company is the ideal job for Richard, the quintessential family man who believes what he does for a living offers families an entertainment experience that is unique, engaging and indelible. “The atmosphere of our parks has a way of creating moments with family and friends that we remember and cherish - memories that last a lifetime,” said Richard. “Experiencing the joy of togetherness with the people we care about most is why I believe our guests want to return to our parks so often.” From an early age, Richard was fascinated by business and dreamed of running one himself. As a business leader, he brings a well-balanced approach and an ability to coalesce organizational strengths to accelerate the pace of progress. Richard used those insights to design Cedar Fair’s Fast Lane program, a high-demand and highly successful, in-park product which drove a considerable increase in annual revenues as well as reinvestment in the company’s parks. Prior to becoming CEO for Cedar Fair, Richard was Cedar Fair’s President and Chief Operating Officer from October 2016 to December 2017 and served as Chief Operating Officer from October 2011 to October 2016. Prior to that he was appointed as Executive Vice President in November 2010 and as Regional Vice President in June 2007. He was Vice President and General Manager of Kings Dominion from 1998 to 2007. Richard is a Senior Advisor for Velocity Capital Management and former Director of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau. He also served as Committee Co-Chair for NOVA of Virginia Aquatics, Inc., a non-profit offering year-round youth swimming programs and competitive training. A well-connected professional in the Richmond business community, Richard led a capital campaign to build NOVA’s second aquatic center which helped put the training program, now among the top-five in the U.S., on solid financial footing for the long haul. Richard earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Georgetown University where he led the formation of an active, on-campus business fraternity.