Corporate Governance

Daniel J. Hanrahan was appointed Cedar Fair’s chairman of the board, effective January 1, 2020. He was elected to Cedar Fair’s board in 2012 and as board chairman serves as an ex-officio member of each committee, including the Audit Committee, People, Culture & Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

As a director and highly respected mentor to Cedar Fair’s executive team, Daniel’s contributions have proven to be invaluable during his tenure on the board. He possesses a deep understanding of the hospitality, travel and retail sectors, which Daniel applied with great success not only as a senior executive in the cruise line industry, but similarly in the amusement park industry while on the board at Cedar Fair.

From 2012 to 2017, Daniel served as president, CEO and director of the Regis Corporation (NYSE: RGS). Prior to joining Regis, he served from 2007 to 2012 as president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, a cruise line and division of Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE: RCL). In concert with the introduction of a new class of cruise ship at Celebrity, Daniel revived the cruise line’s brand and guest satisfaction ratings to tops in the industry. Prior to Celebrity, Daniel served as senior vice president of sales and marketing for Royal Caribbean, where he orchestrated a highly effective television advertising campaign that won two Effie’s, a coveted communications industry award honoring the year’s most effective marketing communications ideas. The tremendous success of the Royal Caribbean advertising campaign led to Daniel’s appointment as president of Celebrity Cruises in 2005, then to president and CEO two years later. Prior to joining Royal Caribbean, Daniel served in executive-level positions with Polaroid and Reebok.

Since 2017, Daniel has served on the board of directors and audit committee for Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LIND), a global provider of expedition cruises and adventure travel experiences. In 2004, Daniel was named as one of the “Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales and Marketing” by Hospitality and Sales Marketing Association International (HSMAI). He also received Travel Executive of the Year honors from Travel Trade Magazine and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).

Daniel earned his BBA from the University of Wisconsin.

Daniel loves the water and particularly enjoys ocean and open water swim races. Most of his life he has swum with master swim teams, competing in places like the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. One of Daniel’s favorite and most challenging races is held in Turkey, requiring competitors to swim approximately 4.5 miles in the Bosporus Straits, forming the continental boundary between Europe and Asia and connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

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Nina Barton was appointed to Cedar Fair’s board of directors in 2023 and serves as a member of the Audit Committee. She is a seasoned consumer brand and e-commerce leader with more than two decades of experience accelerating consumer businesses.

Nina has a consistent record of creating and building brands, leading successful turnarounds, and growing profitable businesses in the U.S. and globally against intense competition. She was most recently the CEO of Vytalogy Wellness, a modern wellness company that fuses science and quality ingredients to create highly efficacious products that make a transformative impact on consumers’ lives. In this role, Nina was responsible for leading the company’s more than 600 employees and driving the strategy and growth of its award-winning vitamin and supplement brands, Natrol and Jarrow Formulas.

Throughout Nina’s 27-year career in the CPG space, she’s been involved in growing dozens of successful brands, especially in her last role as Global Chief Growth Officer at The Kraft Heinz Company where she was responsible for leading the company’s global strategy, including eCommerce, R&D and marketing. Prior to her 10-year tenure at Kraft Heinz, Nina held several other positions of increasing responsibility at Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble.

In 2003, Nina attained her Master of Business Administration degree in strategy from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and finance at McGill University, Canada.

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Louis Carr was appointed to Cedar Fair’s board of directors in 2020 and serves as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. He is an entertainment, media, and advertising executive with more than 30 years of experience.

As president of Media Sales at Black Entertainment Television (BET) Networks, Louis is one of the most influential and prominent African Americans in both the media and marketing industries. He has been responsible for more advertising dollars targeted towards the African-American consumer markets than any other professional or company.

In 2016, Louis celebrated his 30th year anniversary with BET. In the same year, he earned the Diversity Award from the Hyatt Corporation and another Lifetime Achievement Award from the Patricia Martin Legacy celebration honoring his work around diversity from both a personal and professional standpoint. Louis has also been listed on NAMIC’s Most Influential African Americans list in the cable industry several times.

Louis has served on boards of the Ad Council; International Radio and Television Society (IRTS); American Advertising Federation (AAF); and the Video Advertising Board (VAB), formerly the CAB. He currently serves on the board of the Boys Hope Girls Hope and the United States Track and Field Foundation.

Utilizing his B.A. in Journalism from Drake University, Louis has become a compelling author, writing two books titled Dirty Little Secrets and The Little Black Book: Daily Motivations for Business and Personal Growth.

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Michelle McKinney Frymire was appointed to Cedar Fair’s board of directors in 2022 and serves as a member on both the Audit Committee and the People, Culture & Compensation Committee.

Ms. Frymire has extensive executive-level and financial experience with both public and private companies. She served as CEO of CWT (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel), a leader in travel management technology, from May 2021 to May 2022, when she steered the company through the pandemic, driving the company’s global strategy and overseeing significant investment in the company’s product and technology platforms. Prior to serving as the CEO, Frymire served as president and CFO, in charge of global business strategy and transformation.

Prior to joining CWT, Frymire was CFO for U.S. Risk Insurance Group, LLC, a privately owned specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker, from 2017 to 2019. From 2015 to 2017, she served as CFO for Service King Collision Repair Centers. From 2009 to 2015, Frymire served in a variety of roles for The Service Master Companies, Inc., most recently as vice president, Corporate FP&A and Strategy, as well as CFO for TruGreen from 2009 to 2013. From 2005 to 2009, Frymire was CFO, Vacation Ownership for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. From 1998 to 2005, Frymire served in a variety of roles for Delta Air Lines, Inc., including vice president of Finance, Marketing, International, Network and Technology. From 1994 to 1998, she was managing director, Financial Planning, Analysis and Systems for Continental Airlines. Lastly, from 1991 to 1994, Frymire was senior financial analyst, FP&A with American Airlines Group, Inc.

Ms. Frymire serves as board director and member of the Audit and Nominating & Governance Committee of Spirit Realty Capital, Inc., a NYSE-listed REIT. She also serves as board director for Sonder, a NASDAQ-listed hospitality business, where she sits on both the Audit Committee and Nominating, Corporate Governance & Social Responsibility Committee. Frymire received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Austin College and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.

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Jennifer Mason was appointed to Cedar Fair’s board of directors in 2022 and serves as a member on both the Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Ms. Mason is global officer, treasurer and risk management at Marriott International, the world’s largest hospitality company with 30 brands and 8,000+ properties in 139 countries. In her role at Marriott, she oversees global capital markets and hotel financing, financial strategy and capital allocation, financial risk management, and global capital transactions and treasury services, and is responsible for the company’s risk management function including insurance, claims, business continuity and global safety and security.

Prior to her current role, Mason was CFO for Marriott’s U.S. & Canada division, where she led financial management responsible for the P&L, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, internal controls, asset management and feasibility. Since 1992, Mason has held several other leadership positions at Marriott, including senior vice president of IT Business Partnership & Planning, as well as senior vice president, Sales & Marketing Planning Support. In her first 16 years with Marriott, Mason held several positions of increasing responsibility in Internal Audit, Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis, Lodging Finance and Business Development. She was regional director for the Mid-Atlantic region and vice president, Finance Business Partner for sales and marketing, before serving in her senior vice president roles.

Mason earned her Bachelor of Science in Commerce with a concentration in Finance from the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce, and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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D. Scott Olivet is CEO of Renegade Brands, an investment company that primarily invests in apparel and other consumer companies and an operating partner at private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners. A Cedar Fair director since 2013, Scott chairs the People, Culture & Compensation Committee and is a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Scott has a deep background in formulating strategy and evaluating strategic decisions with management teams, boards and private equity firms. He has been involved as an executive or director with more than a dozen companies in the consumer sector, relying on market data to ascertain if and/or how the consumer is changing, particularly among the younger generations. He advises companies how process and cultural changes in their strategic assessments and decision making approach can expedite the progress they are seeking. Scott believes that driving growth requires very specific, targeted, and integrated efforts and that repetitive experimentation is becoming today’s most effective means of learning.

From 2005 to July 2009, Scott served as CEO and director of Oakley, a manufacturer of sports performance equipment, then served as chairman of the board from July 2009 to February 2011. Prior to joining Oakley, he served as vice president of NIKE Subsidiaries and New Business Development, where he was responsible for the Hurley, Converse, Cole Haan, Bauer Hockey and Starter brands; senior vice president of Real Estate, Store Design and Construction with Gap Inc., with responsibility across the Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy brands; and as a partner with Bain & Company, where he was also the leader of the worldwide practice in organizational effectiveness and change management.

Scott serves as executive chairman of RED Digital Cinema, an American manufacturer of digital cinematography tools, a position he has held since July 2009. He has served in various capacities with Altamont Capital portfolio companies: chairman of the board for Dakine and Mervin Manufacturing since November 2013, chairman of the board for Brixton Manufacturing since October 2014, a director of Hybrid Apparel since December 2014, and as interim CEO of Fox Head Inc. from December 2014 through March 2015 and director since December 2014. Scott also serves as chairman of FutureStitch, since July 2018, and director of Rockport Group since October 2018.

From 2011 to October 2012, he was the non-exclusive chairman of Collective Brands, a parent company that owns shoe retailers and manufacturers, having served as a director since 2006. Scott served as a director of Skullcandy (NASDAQ: SKUL) from 2012 through 2016, serving as a member of its audit and compensation committees; chairman of the board of HUF Worldwide from 2014 through 2018; a trustee of Pomona College from 2009 through 2017; and a director of the Pacific Council on International Policy from 2010 to 2017.

For his charitable work, Scott is very involved with art-in-education organizations and was honored as recipient of the 2008 Founder’s Award by Augie’s Quest, a non-profit organization established for the sole purpose of curing ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

As a graduate research fellow at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, Scott became infatuated with royalty during breaks from studying nuclear weapons proliferation. With the college’s annual ball fast approaching, Scott boldly asked Princess Caroline of Monaco to be his date, an offer for which she politely but quickly declined. The upshot? A friend with royal connections introduced him to a Duchess, who politely accepted and became a great friend for many years.

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Carlos Ruisanchez is a finance and entertainment executive with more than 25 years of experience. He was elected to Cedar Fair’s board of directors in 2019, chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the People, Culture & Compensation Committee.

Carlos served as the president and chief financial officer and a director of Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNK), an owner and operator of gaming, hospitality and entertainment businesses, from 2016 through its October 2018 acquisition by Penn National Gaming, Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN), owner and manager of gaming and racing facilities and video gaming terminal operations. He served as president of Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. from May 2013 to April 2016 and chief financial officer from April 2011 to April 2016. Prior to becoming president in May 2013, he served as executive vice president since 2008 and executive vice president of strategic planning and development from 2008 to 2011. Before joining Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., Mr. Ruisanchez was senior managing director at Bear Stearns & Co., Inc., a brokerage investment advisory and corporate advisory services company, where he held various positions from 1997 to 2008. As senior managing director of Bear, Stearns & Co., he was responsible for corporate clients in the gaming, lodging and leisure industries, as well as financial sponsor banking relationships.

In November 2021, Mr. Ruisanchez was appointed to the board of directors of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.’s (NYSE: SWX).

Mr. Ruisanchez is qualified to serve on the Board of Directors as a result of his broad financial background and experience as president and chief financial officer of a public entertainment company.

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Richard A. Zimmerman became president and CEO of Cedar Fair in January 2018 and appointed a director in April 2019. During his tenure with the company he has accepted steadily increasing levels of responsibility since being named VP and general manager of Kings Dominion near Richmond, Virginia, in 1998.

In many ways, serving as leader of Cedar Fair 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 the days with each other that are cherished in hindsight, the 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 both young and old 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, 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 earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Georgetown University, where he led the formation of an active, on-campus business fraternity. He is a former director of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau. Richard 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.

Growing up in Kansas, Richard viewed himself as “the other guy.” While his hometown buddies were waking up at the crack of dawn for football camp two-a-days, or wearing down the tacky bottoms of their Converse high-tops playing hoops, Richard preferred capturing all the action from behind a camera lens, shooting game film for the coaches and snapping player photos for the high school yearbook. Even back then Richard’s passion was creating memories for a lifetime – much like he does today at Cedar Fair.

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Richard A. Zimmerman became president and CEO of Cedar Fair in January 2018 and appointed a director in April 2019. During his tenure with the company he has accepted steadily increasing levels of responsibility since being named VP and general manager of Kings Dominion near Richmond, Virginia, in 1998.

In many ways, serving as leader of Cedar Fair 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 the days with each other that are cherished in hindsight, the 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 both young and old 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, 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 earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Georgetown University, where he led the formation of an active, on‐campus business fraternity. He is a former director of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau. Richard 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.

Growing up in Kansas, Richard viewed himself as “the other guy.” While his hometown buddies were waking up at the crack of dawn for football camp two‐a‐days, or wearing down the tacky bottoms of their Converse high‐tops playing hoops, Richard preferred capturing all the action from behind a camera lens, shooting game film for the coaches and snapping player photos for the high school yearbook. Even back then Richard’s passion was creating memories for a lifetime – much like he does today at Cedar Fair.

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Chief Operating Officer Tim Fisher joined Cedar Fair in December 2017, bringing with him 40 years of experience in the U.S. and international theme park industry, dating back to his first job at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As COO, Tim takes a hands-on and detail-oriented approach, ensuring that Cedar Fair’s long-range plan is executed with precision, and that the parks and resort properties perform to the company’s budgeted financial targets.

Prior to Cedar Fair, Tim served as CEO for three different regions of Village Roadshow Theme Parks in succession, including the North America region from April 2007 to January 2009; the Australia region through March 2017; and the Asia region through November 2017.  Under Tim’s leadership as CEO, the theme park group achieved records for attendance, revenues and EBITDA performance.  Prior to Village Roadshow, Tim was executive vice president of Paramount Parks and Viacom Recreation USA, where he was responsible for the management, operational and financial performance of all theme parks domestic and international until August 2006.

Tim was awarded a B.B.A. in Business/Marketing and an A.A. in Business Administration from American Intercontinental University.  He has served as a board director for a number of companies, including Carlyle Group’s APEX Parks Group.  Tim also serves on the national board of A Kid Again, a non-profit organization that serves families with children that are suffering from life changing illnesses.

Tim and his wife Shandelle sketched out a design concept for a remodeled kitchen in their Charlotte home, then hired a local construction company to bring their concept to life. Some months later Tim was notified that the contractor had won a National Contractor of the Year Award and “Best in Show” (scoring 88 of 90 possible points) based on the Fishers’ kitchen “for exceptional results in a remodeling project.”

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Brian Witherow has served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cedar Fair since January 2012.

Brian began his career with public accounting firm Arthur Andersen, having earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Miami University. He left public accounting in 1995 to join Cedar Fair as corporate director of investor relations. He was promoted to corporate treasurer in 2004 and named vice president and corporate controller the following year.

Now, as CFO, Brian is responsible for creating and executing upon a strategy to drive, account for and assess the effectiveness of Cedar Fair’s entire financial enterprise. As executive vice president, his leadership position, which also includes oversight for information technology, has been integral in shaping Cedar Fair’s vision, long-term corporate mission and business strategy designed not only to build value for unitholders, but to also create lasting memories for Cedar Fair’s patrons.

Few people have played a more consistent role in the company’s accelerated period of growth than has Brian. He participated in or led teams through numerous acquisitions, which collectively added nine regional amusement parks and two waterparks to Cedar Fair’s asset portfolio across the U.S. and in Canada. Brian helped drive the game-changing acquisition of the Paramount Park properties from CBS in 2006, an ideal cultural fit that added significant, well-market positioned park assets from coast to coast in the U.S. and in Ontario, Canada.

A lifelong Cleveland sports fan, Brian’s name was drawn for a chance to win a car by sinking three shots – a foul shot, a three-pointer and one from half court – during halftime of a Cavaliers game. With only 24 seconds to accomplish the seemingly impossible feat, Brian nailed the free throw, sunk a three-pointer on his fifth try and, at the buzzer, drained his half-court shot. The crowd went wild as Brian was presented the keys to a brand new Jeep Wrangler.

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Brian Nurse was appointed Cedar Fair’s chief legal officer in November 2021, bringing with him more than 25 years of comprehensive experience with some of the best-known entertainment and food and beverage companies in the world.

Prior to joining Cedar Fair, Brian was senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for World Wrestling Entertainment, an integrated global media company with revenue of approximately $1 billion. In that role, which he held for just over two years, he was responsible for all legal affairs and served as a member of the senior management team. Before that, Brian served six and a half years as vice president, associate general counsel and secretary at Nestle Waters North America, leading the day-to-day legal affairs for the $4.6 billion division of Nestle S.A., the largest food and beverage company in the world. From 2003-2012, he was senior legal counsel for PepsiCo, Inc., where he was lead counsel for North American beverage/soft drinks brands. Brian’s responsibilities included working with brand and sports marketing, licensing and branded entertainment. He joined Pepsi’s corporate law team as legal counsel in 2001.

Brian earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and a juris doctor from Fordham University School of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.

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Serving as Cedar Fair’s senior vice president and chief accounting officer since 2012, David R. Hoffman comes in contact with nearly every financial data point collected, measured and reported by the company. Dave’s leadership responsibilities include oversight of finance and accounting, corporate tax, external reporting and financial policies, procedures and controls. He also serves as counselor to the CFO.

Dave’s primary focus since joining Cedar Fair has been to advance the company’s technical competency through a period of rapid growth and expansion, in both scope and scale. Pivotal to that goal, Dave led a companywide initiative to modernize the way in which technical information is collected, managed and reported. The project’s objective was to streamline the flow of information from multiple data gathering and reporting systems to a centralized data repository, furnishing management with contemporaneous and essential intelligence and insight about park operations and performance.

Prior to serving in his current position, Dave was vice president of finance and corporate tax, since 2010. He joined the company in 2006 as vice president of corporate tax. Before working for Cedar Fair, Dave served as a business advisor with Ernst & Young. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Toledo and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan. Dave is a member of AICPA and OICPA.

At age 18, Dave obtained a pilot license, later flying aerial advertising banners/billboards behind acrobatic “taildragger” airplanes in the skies over major events, including football games at the University of Michigan, his eventual alma mater for his MBA.

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Monica Sauls was appointed Cedar Fair’s senior vice president and chief human resources officer in March 2023. She serves as a member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for talent acquisition, talent management, performance management, leadership development, total rewards, employee relations, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

From 2020 until she joined Cedar Fair, Monica was senior vice president and chief people officer of Bojangles, where she led a team that modernized personnel practices that accelerated restaurant staffing during the national labor crisis; revamped the employee value proposition with groundbreaking benefits; initiated talent strategies the elevated workforce engagement; and delivered a game-changing cultural transformation model, increasing transactions at participating restaurants.

Prior to that, Monica was senior human resources strategic business solutions leader for Fortune 100 Duke Energy from 2018 to 2020. From 2014 to 2018, she served as senior executive and leadership development director for global aerospace leader Boeing. Prior to that, Monica was human resources and talent management manager for Walgreens from 2009 to 2014. She also held organizational effectiveness and global training positions, respectively, for Edward Jones and Ingersoll Rand.

Monica has been widely recognized for her accomplishments in the human resources profession, including in 2022 being name one of the 11 Most Influential Women in Quick Serve Restaurants, and America's Best Employers for Diversity and Human Resources GAME CHANGER by organizations such as Forbes and Workforce Magazine. Monica also co-founded The Center for Career and Life Transitions (CCLT), a platform that offers career development, life skills advice, and tools for people in transition to achieve their career goals.

Monica holds a Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

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