Building LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds & SEA LIFE: Mark "Fish" Fisher's Story

Jeannette talks to Mark “Fish” Fisher to uncover his extraordinary journey from a 16-year-old bear mascot at Alton Towers to the boardroom as Chief Development Officer for Merlin Entertainments. Mark opens up about taking a business to a £6 billion IPO, the harsh realities of navigating global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the critical importance of staying fiercely authentic in rigid corporate environments. Packed with candid insights on surviving the scrutiny of public markets, managing a workforce across 24 countries, and making agonizing welfare decisions during severe economic disruptions, this conversation provides an essential roadmap for scaling a business while keeping your team grounded. You'll Learn Why: Staying authentic is a competitive advantage; corporate facades fall apart under the intense scrutiny of public markets and analysts. Building an in-house creative team drives product quality and innovation faster than relying solely on external agencies. Maintaining transparent communication and rapid decision-making across global teams protects your company culture during sudden economic stops. Transitioning from a hands-on executive to an advisory or board role requires checking your ego and trusting the talent you've nurtured. Whether you're a founder, CEO, small business owner, entrepreneur, startup leader or executive, these lessons will help you navigate massive scale and build a resilient organization. 🚀 Want to accelerate your business growth? Join Rise Academy today and gain access to expert business coaching, leadership training, proven growth frameworks, live coaching sessions, and practical strategies designed to help you build a thriving business. ABOUT THE GUEST Mark ‘Fish’ Fisher has spent over 40 years in the hospitality industry. He was one of the founders of Merlin Entertainments, helping it grow into the world’s second largest visitor attraction operators, with a market value of over £6 billion. Fish started his career as a humble costume character at the age of 16, at Alton Towers, and eventually rose to become Merlin’s Chief Development Officer. In his time at Merlin, he was responsible for creating its global creative and project delivery engine, building both Merlin and international IP brands, across North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia. Having started as a Marketeer, he has served as Managing Director for numerous Merlin Divisions, including Theme Parks, Hotels and Midway businesses. More recently he has enjoyed a portfolio career, as a Chair, Non-Executive Director, mentor and investor. He currently holds several non-executive board positions, in particular, he has been part of the Daniel Thwiates board for several years, helping them consolidate their position as one of the best family brewers in the UK. More recently he has joined the board, and invested in, The Lost Estate, the UKs premium immersive dining experience. He has also just fulfilled a lifelong ambition by investing in a small craft brewery!!!! He spends his spare time running The Fisher Charitable Trust, set up after his time at Merlin and looking after his menagerie of animals at his Wiltshire smallholding. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fish-fisher-52132914/ About Jeannette Linfoot ABOUT THE HOST Jeannette Linfoot is a highly regarded senior executive, property investor, board advisor, and business mentor with over 30 years of global professional business experience across the travel, leisure, hospitality, and property sectors. Having bought, ran, and sold businesses all over the world, Jeannette now has a portfolio of her own businesses and also advises and mentors other business leaders to drive forward their strategies as well as their own personal development. Jeannette is a down-to-earth leader, a passionate champion for diversity & inclusion, and a huge advocate of nurturing talent so every person can unleash their full potential and live their dreams. Podcast Description Jeannette Linfoot talks to incredible people about their experiences in business and life, gaining first hand insight into how they unleashed their potential to become Brave Bold Brilliant.From the boardroom tables of big international businesses to the exciting world of entrepreneurs it's all about stepping up to the next level while staying true to yourself.