My Experience

I started out as a Ride Host, then Operator, training across a variety of rides including Flying Fish, The SWARM and Tidal Wave. During this time, I contributed ideas to Continuous Improvement projects, including a redesigned queue layout for Tidal Wave's interior to help batch guests into the gates more efficiently.

I then progressed to Guest Services Team Leader and Duty Manager, overseeing the day-to-day running of the Guest Experience Front of House team. In this role, I worked across a range of projects from training to signage which you can read more about here

During my time at Thorpe Park, I seized opportunities to explore more of the Merlin portfolio, spending multiple days shadowing senior park and rides management at LEGOLAND Windsor, as well as exploring other departments at Thorpe Park. This gave me a wider understanding of park operations and how each team interconnects to deliver an exceptional guest experience.

During university I worked part-time at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as a Ride Operator on ICON and The Big One, my first experience of working on a brand-new attraction. Understanding the differences that come with a family-owned park, including the limitations and opportunities that brings, was vital in shaping my wider understanding of theme park operations.

Joining The Escapade Group as a Duty Manager at Hobbledown Heath, I looked after the day-to-day operation of the entire site, from F&B to the Zoo Team and also managed the Retail and Admissions department. Shortly into my time there, I took on responsibility for Gripped, the group's high ropes and adventure park, managing the team of instructors and ground crew as well as supervising the safe day-to-day operation of the site.

This role was significant in broadening my experience beyond rides and Front of House, running such a varied mix of departments, from animal care to retail to high ropes safety, gave me a much deeper appreciation of how operationally different areas of a site still need to work together to deliver a consistent guest experience.

In 2026, I took up the chance to volunteer as a Race Maker at the British Grand Prix. This on-the-ground role placed me right at the centre of the event across the three days. I supported the accessibility team, making sure guests with additional needs felt comfortable and supported, and worked more generally within my zone answering guest queries and supporting wider operations.

This was a different kind of experience to theme parks: a short, high-intensity event rather than an ongoing daily operation, welcoming over half a million visitors across the weekend. It gave me valuable insight into how guest experience principles apply at scale in a high-traffic, time-limited environment and widened my understanding of operating major events alongside my theme park background.

Transitioning into an office-based role with Evan Evans Tours, a London-based sightseeing operator, I've again expanded the breadth of my knowledge, this time learning about the relationship between attractions and travel trade, alongside wider partnership management. I've also developed a deep understanding of pricing and product management, seeing how tours and experiences are built, packaged and brought to market.

This role marked a shift from operational, front-of-house experience to a more commercial, behind-the-scenes perspective, understanding how attractions are sold through trade partners, how pricing decisions affect both guest experience and business performance and how a product is shaped long before a guest ever arrives on site.