Chris Oliver

Chris Oliver, Senior Vice President, Universal Creative Engineering & Safety is a respected industry leader having worked on theme parks and attractions in Singapore, Osaka, Beijing, Paris, and Orlando. His dedication to the safety of guests and innovative technology, blended with immersive storytelling, has been instrumental to fan-favorite attractions for Universal Parks & Resorts, as well as Disney Parks worldwide. 

He is the Chair of the IAAPA North America Safety and Security Committee, a member of ASTM F24, and holds multiple patents. 

Chris sponsored and organized Universal’s “Technical Women in Entertainment,” which has become a force in promoting women in technical fields at Universal Destinations and Experiences.

Chris, along with Peter Weishar, created the Universal Creative Lab at UCF, which brings UCF students into Creative offices and onto our construction sites to teach them the basics of building a theme park attraction.  The program is one of the highest rated at UCF and has helped prepare hundreds of students for a career in themed entertainment.

Most recently, Chris led a team of over 200 engineers to create Universal’s newest theme park, Universal Epic Universe in Orlando. Currently, Chris leads a team of nearly 400 Engineers developing attractions at Universal theme parks and new ventures around the world.

Chris earned his BSEE from Clemson University and an MBA from University of Central Florida.  He started his theme park career in Park Operations at Walt Disney World and has held several leadership positions at both Disney and Universal.

Partial list of projects include: 

Universal Epic Universe

Universal Beijing Resort

Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Transformers, the Ride, 3D

The original Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal Orlando

Walt Disney World Splash Mountain

Walt Disney World Tower of Terror

Disneyland Paris Space Mountain