- Nick Varney
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Nick Varney CEO of Merlin Entertainments Incumbent Assumed office
1999Personal details Born Nicholas Varney
1960
England, United KingdomNationality British Spouse(s) Liz Varney Children Four Occupation Businessperson Nick Varney (born 1960) is a British businessman who is presently the chief executive of attractions operator Merlin Entertainments. He rose to his position in 1998 after a background in marketing.
Biography
He began as a junior marketer in the mid 1980s, later progressing to senior roles. He worked as marketing director at Alton Towers in the early 1990s.[1]
In business circles, he is widely seen as an aggressive marketer and was quoted in 2011 as saying "if you can get out of our attractions without buying tickets for the others, well, good luck."[2]
In 2011, he stated his belief that free admission to British museums and art galleries were primarily used by "foreign tourists and middle class people who can afford it."[3]
He also favours a cut in VAT from 20% to 5% on hotel rooms and visitor attractions in the UK.
Personal life
He lives with his wife and four children in Dorset, where he also keeps pigs.
References
- ^ The Sunday Interview: Merlin Entertainments' Nick Varney - This Is Money
- ^ The man on a quest to spread Merlin's magic - Marketing Week
- ^ Cutting VAT on hotels could create 80,000 jobs - Daily Telegraph newspaper
Categories:- 1968 births
- Living people
- English businesspeople
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