ABOUT US

L. Scott Demerau is Executive Chairman of Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he oversees corporate structure and finance, strategic business expansion and relationships, and ongoing value creation for stakeholders and investors.

Scott Demerau, working alongside Juli Demerau, his wife and business partner of 33 years, has been a force in family entertainment for more than three decades. Together, Scott and Juli founded, built, and operated three significant brands in the amusement & theme park industry, and created the proven model for “Big-Experience, Small-Footprint” theme parks associated with resorts in major tourist centers worldwide.

Previous to his current role, Scott was Chairman and CEO of Katmandu Group, where he oversaw the growth and expansion of the Katmandu Parks, and was instrumental in establishing a 50/50 joint venture relationship with Meliá Hotels International (MHI). Following its merger with Falcon’s, Katmandu Group now serves as the operations wing of Falcon’s Beyond, responsible for Falcon’s-related guest experiences in parks and resorts worldwide.

As co-founder of the first Katmandu Park in 2007 in Mallorca, Spain, Scott had a vision to transform the beach holiday entertainment industry. In 2012, under the Demerau leadership, Katmandu formed the joint venture with MHI, one of the world’s largest hotel operators, to expand the Mallorca site into immersive, fully-themed Sol Katmandu Park & Resort, jointly develop and operate additional properties, and open Katmandu-themed children’s resort camps in Meliá hotel sites around the world.

In 2019, Katmandu formed a strategic partnership with Falcon’s Creative Group to expand Katmandu’s original IP, master plan new parks, and develop custom rides complete with original IP Content. In 2021, the couple spearheaded a merger between Katmandu and Falcon’s Creative Group to form Falcon’s Beyond, a fully integrated development enterprise to propel IP-driven parks, resorts, media, and merchandise around the world.

Scott and Juli Demerau embarked on their career in family entertainment immediately after graduation from university. In 1985, Scott and Juli co-founded Fantasy Golf Development Company to create, construct, and operate the Mountasia Family Fun Centers, a multi-attraction FEC chain of $2M-$7M projects. Over the next eight years, while building and operating 24 locations throughout the southeast USA and in Mallorca, the emerging company strategically planned a public offering as Mountasia Entertainment International (MEI). In 1993, Scott guided MEI through a successful IPO, which was 10x oversubscribed, achieved a PE over 70x, and began trading publicly on NASDAQ.

Within a year of the IPO, MEI acquired the Malibu Grand Prix IP, formerly owned by Warner Communications. With 25 racing-centric amusement parks, the acquisition doubled MEI’s portfolio of owned locations, spanning the US from California to Florida with more than 3,500 employees. Over a two-year period, a major consolidation program reshaped the company into a network of corporately owned and managed LBEs. This company became the largest LBE operator chain in the U.S. before selling to a private venture group in 1996.

Scott and Juli were named in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of “40 Under 40” in 1991 and were awarded Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneurs of the Year award in 1994 for the creation of Mountasia Entertainment. Time celebrated their success, and in 1994 Fortune ran an article on the Demeraus entitled “Profit Lessons for Disney.” Among many other awards, in 2016 Sol Katmandu Park & Resort was recognized as the #1 hotel in Europe for innovation in service by the European Hospitality Awards, and in 2016 was named the #1 Business Idea in Leisure Category by Actualidad Económica. TripAdvisor gave Katmandu Park a Travelers’ Choice 2020 Best of the Best, and ranked it among the top ten amusement & water parks in Spain.

Scott is also President of Fun Stuff, a Falcon’s Beyond subsidiary which holds a 50% interest in the joint venture with Meliá Hotels International, and he serves on the JV Board.

He holds a degree in Business from Ferris State University in Michigan.

Scott and Juli Demerau are philanthropists at heart and support charitable endeavors or causes which reflect their personal priorities and values. Their collective pledge is to “do good in the world by contributing to meaningful organizations that improve the lives of others.” Their philanthropy has particularly focused on orphanages, underserved populations, and the mentoring of young business minds.

Cecil D. Magpuri is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he directs the company’s endeavors and establishes a road map for the future. He maintains high-level oversight of all significant creative and operational developments. Cecil is also a member of the Falcon’s Beyond Board of Managers.

Before becoming CEO of Falcon’s Beyond, Cecil served as the President and Chief Creative Officer of Falcon’s Treehouse, a company he co-founded in 2000 that was later rebranded as Falcon’s Creative Group and expanded to include Falcon’s Digital Media and Falcon’s Licensing. He molded it into a well-respected and award-winning themed entertainment design firm that collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business to produce innovative guest experiences. Cecil personally led the design efforts for new technology products and attraction systems, which resulted in dozens of patents.

Prior to spinning up his own company, Cecil was the director of attraction development for Clarity Studios, where he assembled a team of professionals to provide turnkey attraction design services to theme parks and corporate clients. Previously, Cecil was a creative director at Universal Studios, where he developed the initial concepts for two major attractions, one of which was Twister: Ride it Out! He played a pivotal role in their development and was responsible for the creative outcome of these landmark projects. He was named co-inventor and was awarded patents for both attractions. While at Universal Studios, Cecil collaborated with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer to conceptualize a brick-and-mortar experience based on the captivating story of Apollo 13.

In the early 1990s, Cecil worked under the tutelage of the legendary and Academy Award-winning Don Iwerks at Iwerks Entertainment, where he held a senior project designer position. It was here that Cecil became interested in combining cutting-edge technology with immersive storytelling to create unique guest experiences.

For three consecutive years, Cecil was named to the Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencers list, joining the likes of Kathleen Kennedy, Bob Iger, and Joe Rohde. In 2010, Cecil received the Asian Heritage Award for Innovation and Technology. He is an advisory board member for the University of Central Florida’s Themed Experience MFA program. He also sits on the advisory board of the onePULSE Foundation, which was established after the tragedy at Pulse nightclub in 2016. Cecil is an active member of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), the Visual Effects Society (VES), and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

Cecil received his Bachelor of Arts in applied arts and sciences with an emphasis on environmental design and a distinction in art from San Diego State University in 1991. 

Simon Philips is President of Falcon’s Beyond, a newly created position for the company. Simon’s visionary approach to brand building has helped shape the strategic direction of some of the world’s most iconic franchises – including Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, CoComelon, Pokémon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Yu-Gi-Oh. As President, Simon will oversee the future growth and expansion of entertainment-based business and development of Falcon’s IPs. This includes developing and implementing comprehensive corporate strategies for future growth across all commercial operations of the company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Leveraging his deep industry expertise and relationships, Simon will also focus on strategically building the infrastructure of new consumer products, entertainment content and synergies. He previously served as Senior Advisor to the Falcon’s Beyond Board of Managers.

Previous to this new role, Philips was Managing Director, Global Consumer Products at Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind properties including CoComelon, Blippi and Little Angel. His previous experience includes serving as Executive Vice-President & General Manager of The Walt Disney Company EMEA and President of Marvel Entertainment International, where he was responsible for targeting new businesses as well as growing and increasing the depth of Marvel’s existing businesses. He also oversaw and acted as the Executive Producer for several of Marvel’s hit animated series, including The Super Hero Squad, The Avengers – Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and the Marvel Japanese anime series.

In addition to propelling Disney’s and Marvel’s iconic characters in the marketplace, Simon also breathed life into Pixar’s and Star Wars’ brands through the licensing business across hard-lines, soft-lines, FMCG, and publishing.

Simon joined Marvel from 4Kids Entertainment where he managed their international multi-billion-dollar Pokémon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Yu-Gi-Oh franchises.

Prior to 4Kids, Simon established LDI, a media and entertainment company whose reach spanned the Middle East, Mediterranean Basin, and Latin America. LDI became one of the leading independent licensing agents in the world. Simon diversified LDI’s business interests into broadcast media and production through the acquisition of The Dori Media Group.

Simon started his licensing career in London in 1991, working on behalf of the British Olympic Association, where he licensed the world’s first Olympic-branded video game, which was also the first video game to include third-party advertising.

Yvette Whittaker is the Chief Corporate Officer of Falcon’s Beyond. Her main responsibilities are setting and enforcing the company’s policies and guidelines, acting as a client liaison, determining the corporate strategy, and helping to maintain the public image. She consistently taps into the best ways to manage and streamline processes for business operations, scheduling, budgeting, client relations, and marketing.

Prior to becoming the CCO, Yvette was the Executive Vice President of Operations for Falcon’s Creative Group. As a founding member of the Falcon’s family, Yvette was integral to the success of the start-up. Working alongside the dynamic husband and wife team of Cecil and Marty Magpuri, Yvette utilized her skills as a task master, communicator, and business manager to help lift the company off the ground. She immediately made her mark on the operations side of the business, innately understanding what it would take to guarantee that the small company would not only meet but exceed their own expectations. Yvette also represented the company’s diversity, not only because she was a female leader but because she is a first generation American and came to Falcon’s after a stint as a stay-at-home mom. Because of her background, she has an uncanny ability to juggle multiple challenging projects at once while ensuring that each one receives the same attention, quality, and care that is synonymous with the Falcon’s name.

Yvette’s steady guidance paved the way for success on dozens of projects that Falcon’s produced during its 21-year history. Four of those earned Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Curse of DarKastle, Dragon’s Treasure™ attraction, and Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Experience has given Yvette the gift of perspective. She is a pragmatic leader, always thinking two steps ahead in order to make the most informed decision possible. She puts herself in other people’s shoes to gauge how information is absorbed. Yvette is a caring and nurturing role model and an accomplished ambassador who inspires the entire Falcon’s Beyond team.

David Schaefer is the Chief Development Officer of Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he takes the lead on developing plans to grow the company through new business deals while managing existing client relationships. He also collaborates with the Falcon’s Beyond C-suite to determine company goals, and he maintains close contact with the chief financial officer on budgets and costs.

Before moving into his position with Falcon’s Beyond, David served as Vice President of Falcon’s Creative Group for more than 14 years, where he managed the efforts of the Falcon’s Treehouse design team. His enthusiasm and critical eye, combined with his design and mechanical engineering expertise, expanded the already legendary ability of Falcon’s to react to clients with supreme flexibility and efficiency.

Early in his career with Falcon’s, David took the lead on several complex, international efforts that resulted in prestigious recognition for the creative design firm, including the Thea award-winning Dragon’s Treasure™ attraction in Macau. The success continued when it came time to realize Turtle Trek 3D 360° at SeaWorld Orlando. David’s attention to detail throughout design and construction was integral to ensuring that the experience opened on time to rave reviews and massive crowds. On the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey project, David served as a cornerstone manager for every facet, spearheading such crucial tasks as vendor management, vendor integration, and on-site show programming.

David’s unflappable, level-headed attitude is his trademark. He is a master at navigating the waters of imagination and technical requirements to strike the perfect balance between creative goals and pragmatic solutions. His intense focus and design and engineering abilities inform every Falcon’s Beyond project.

David started his career as a project engineer at Skee Ball, Inc. where he took the lead in new product development. He also helped organize the implementation of a new manufacturing facility in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania.

David received his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from The University of Wisconsin.

Jo Merrill is the Chief Financial Officer for Falcon’s Beyond. She is responsible for economic forecasting and the financial health of the company. Jo oversees its capital structure and addresses any issues within the overall financial picture. She determines the best mix of debt, equity, and internal financing while elevating her investment ideas for the company’s capital to the board.

Prior to joining Falcon’s Beyond, Jo served for more than four years in the role of CFO at Entertainment Technology Partners, an event services company based in Orlando, Florida. She refined and developed the group’s shared service offerings and was instrumental in driving ETP’s growth in both national and international markets.

Jo was the Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller at Hard Rock International for ten years. She joined Hard Rock during the purchase of the business by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and was primarily responsible for oversight of worldwide financial accounting, reporting, and integration of all Hard Rock worldwide businesses. She supported capital raises and helped expand the footprint of hotels, casinos, and restaurants into more than 70 countries.

Jo spent more than eleven years as a senior manager at PwC. She worked on four continents, providing specialized audit and consulting services to primarily multi-national public companies. Jo spent several years working with PwC’s Global Capital Markets Group, a dedicated global team of professionals providing high-value advisory services to non-U.S. companies keen to enter the United States and other international capital markets.

Prior to joining PwC, Jo was a senior auditor at KPMG UK where she cut her financial teeth, becoming a Chartered Accountant in England and Wales and serving clients primarily in aerospace and manufacturing industries.

Jo earned her BSEng, Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath in England. While attending the prestigious research institution, she worked as a mechanical engineer at Rolls-Royce Aero Engines. Jo is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Bruce A. Brown is the Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he is responsible for strategically advising and overseeing legal, compliance, enterprise risk management, and government relations for Falcon’s Beyond. Bruce also serves as a key advisor to the executive leadership team and the Board of Directors.

Prior to his current position, Bruce excelled in a multitude of executive roles including Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Hilton Grand Vacations, Vice President and General Counsel of Tupperware Brands, and Vice President Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary for Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Bruce’s extensive legal expertise makes him the quintessential leader that Falcon’s will rely on as they continue to expand on the momentum of becoming a publicly listed company.

Bruce holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Community Legal Services located in Orlando, Florida, a not-for-profit organization that promotes equal access to justice.

Simon Hirst is the Chief Parks Officer, Operations and Expansion of Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he leads global operations for parks & resorts entertainment experiences within the corporate portfolio including but not limited to three key areas of responsibility: Global Park Operations, Expansion and Guest Experience.

Previously, Simon served as Senior Vice President of Development for Katmandu Group, an IP-driven company known for its innovative and award-winning model of immersive, small-footprint theme parks with resorts. In this role he identified and spearheaded new development opportunities around the globe in a joint venture with Meliá Hotels International (MHI), and personally led initiatives in Tenerife and Punta Cana. In 2021, Katmandu merged with Falcon’s Creative Group to form Falcon’s Beyond.

Before taking this role, Simon served as Vice President of Sales and Operations for Producciones de Parques (PdP), the Spanish joint venture between Katmandu Group (Fun Stuff) and MHI.

Simon had previously served as General Manager of Katmandu Park in Mallorca, where along with operational and financial oversight, he was instrumental in merging the park with the Melia Sol Hotel to form Sol Katmandu Park & Resort (SKPR). SKPR quickly earned many awards and accolades during his tenure. Among these, SKPR was named in the European Hospitality Awards as the #1 hotel in Europe for innovation in service out of more than 100,000 hotels. Trivago Global named SKPR the #1 Hotel in Spain for Traveling with Kids.

While leading SKPR, Simon developed partner relationships with leading travel bureaus, and personally led sales and marketing efforts throughout Europe. This work included developing the annual “Ultimate School Trip” to Katmandu through competitions organized within the UK in partnership with Jet2 Holidays.

Simon began his career in the tour and travel business as a holiday representative for Thomson Holidays in Mallorca. For 25 years, he has managed entertainment complexes both front and back of house, including commercial operations, with oversight of several major tourist attractions in Mallorca such as Casino Paladium, Son Amar, and Globo Balear Entertainment, which produces the world-famous Pirates Adventure, Pirates Reloaded, and Come Fly with Me theatre shows. These shows have been running in Mallorca since 1985 and have entertained over 3 million tourists.

Simon is fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalán, a critical component of his work.

Jennifer Smeresky is the Executive Vice President of Finance for Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, she oversees the company’s financial records and projects future financial investments and plans.

From May of 2008 until her recent appointment with Falcon’s Beyond, Jennifer served various roles in Falcon’s Creative Group’s accounting office. She was hired as a Senior Accountant and then promoted to Controller before taking on the responsibility of Vice President of Finance, a position she held for more than six years. In this role, Jennifer carefully tracked the profitability of each project. She supervised a vast range of accounting functions and applied them to the considerations of master planning, venue and attraction design, and media production.

Jennifer’s enthusiasm, reliability, and proactiveness, along with her understanding of the entertainment business, were significant reasons why she became an integral part of the team.

Jennifer came to Falcon’s with six years of intensive accounting experience under her belt, logging time with Westgate Resorts and Scient’x USA, Inc. Besides being a skilled accountant, she has expertise in marketing, human resources, office administration, and contracting. Falcon’s Beyond benefits greatly from Jennifer’s attention to minute details and her insight into the complexities of financial planning.

Jennifer received her Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Central Florida’s College of Business Administration.

Jason Ambler is the President of the Digital Media team at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he oversees all aspects of the content creation arm of the company, including client relations, budgeting, scheduling, contracts, creative direction, development, production, and post-production. He also consults the company’s executive management team about strategy, technology, staffing, and marketing.

Prior to his current position, Jason served as the Executive Producer and Vice President of Digital Media for Falcon’s Creative Group. He managed all of the studio’s media projects, which included live action, CG animation, visual effects, interactive projects, and augmented reality and virtual reality productions. His team’s work was featured in theme park attractions, live events, museums, special venues, and location-based entertainment centers all over the world.

Before joining Falcon’s, Jason was the Director of Special Projects at Digital Domain Media Group ($DDMG), where he worked with investor relations, marketing, commercials, Digital Domain Tactical (military simulation), and the Digital Domain Institute, as well contributed visual effects to blockbuster films such as Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), The Smurfs (2011), and Thor (2011).

Early in his career, Jason co-founded Eclectico Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based film production company specializing in films, commercials, and music videos for celebrity clientele. Jason worked on several award-winning independent features with worldwide distribution. He was producer and post-production supervisor on Immortal Island (2011) and executive producer and visual effects supervisor on Dead Dad (2012). During these years, Jason served a multitude of productions in innumerable capacities, including producer, director, cinematographer, editor, colorist, sound designer, and visual effects supervisor.

Falcon’s Beyond benefits from Jason’s expertise in many areas, but perhaps his most significant contribution is his diversified skill set. Jason manages the worlds of creative development, business management, and production management extremely well. He is committed to exploring imaginative worlds and is captivated by budding industries and emerging technologies.

Jason is a member of IAAPA and TEA. He has served on the Advisory Board for the Gasparilla Film Festival and is currently the head of the Visual Effects Society’s Florida chapter.

Jason earned a BFA from Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts, where he was a member of the Phi Sigma Theta National Honors Society.

Tori Eurton is the Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement at Falcon’s Beyond. In this key role, she acts as the primary link between Falcon’s Beyond, its shareholders, Board of Directors and joint venture & strategic partners ensuring a positive approach to stakeholder engagement and relationship management.

Prior to her current role, Tori served as Vice President of Corporate Strategy, primarily offering support to the Executive Chairman of the Board in formulating the company’s growth strategy, strategic business relationships and stakeholder relations. Her collaborative efforts with the Leadership team were instrumental in guiding the company to a publicly traded entity through a SPAC transaction and its listing on Nasdaq in October 2023.

Before joining Falcon’s Beyond in 2021, Tori served as a valued consultant to Katmandu Group since 2013. During the inception of Sol Katmandu Park & Resort in Mallorca, Spain, Tori was as an integral member of the inaugural task force, collaborating closely with joint venture partner Meliá Hotels International. This trailblazing team strategically aligned the culture, brands, and policies of the Meliá Sol hotel brand with Katmandu Park, ensuring a seamless integration for guests in the new resort. The success of this integration resulted in the resort winning various industry awards. Since that time, Tori has continued contributing to strategic brand building initiatives for the Katmandu brand.

With over 30 years of experience in strategic marketing and relationship building, Tori has held significant positions at renowned entertainment destination brands including Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and Intrawest. Her diverse career also includes roles as a tenured Vice President for the Orlando-based promotional marketing agency Creative Zing Promotion Group, and as Co-Founder/Principal of 23. Marketing, an independent brand engagement consultancy. Notable industry clients she has worked with include Universal Parks & Resorts (Beijing), Dubai Parks & Resorts, Merlin Entertainments, and LEGOLAND Parks.

Tori is recognized as a multi-functional executive known for her innovative and fresh-thinking approach. Described as a roll-up-your-sleeves thought leader, she is deeply focused, passionate, and committed to delivering purposeful solutions that contribute to business growth while fostering meaningful connections.

Tori earned her Bachelor of Arts in studio art and communications from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.

As the Executive Vice President of Creative Development for Falcon’s Beyond, Eric Calderon focuses on IP expansion for entertainment content and consumer products. He leads the development process, guiding IPs through the various stages of all transmedia realms. Eric oversees talent acquisition and negotiates contracts for above-the-line talent as well as studios and production companies. He strategizes with the Falcon’s Beyond executive team on pitch content, presentations, and sales efforts.

Prior to joining Falcon’s Beyond, Eric served as SVP at Octopie Studios where he spearheaded their creative development efforts. He teamed up with the Russo Brothers, of The Avengers fame, on the TV series Magic: The Gathering for Netflix.

Eric’s animation career has spanned three decades, and during that time, he has worked for several high-profile companies, including Warner Bros. Animation, Machinima, 20th Century Fox Film, Sega, and MTV Animation. Eric also led international creative business development at Japanese anime studio Gonzo Digimation Holding. He has served in various capacities such as writer, show runner, director, and development executive.

Eric has more than a dozen major animated TV series credits. He was the co-producer/writer for Afro Samurai starring Samuel L. Jackson, and he served as showrunner for Transformers: The Combiner Wars and its sequel, Titans Return. Additionally, Eric has been a producer and/or consultant on kids’ TV series and franchises like Slugterra (Disney XD / Nerd Corps Entertainment) and Sonic: The Hedgehog (Sega Corp / Cartoon Network). He also co-created and published an original graphic novel with Samuel L. Jackson called Cold Space.

Eric created and hosts an industry-focused educational YouTube channel called Surviving Animation.

Eric earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in Eastern Religion and mythology studies from William & Mary.

Daryl White is the Executive Vice President of Global Licensing and Business Development at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, he is responsible for actively sourcing licensing opportunities as well as nurturing existing relationships with our licensing partners. He champions the day-to-day operations of the Falcon’s Licensing intellectual property portfolio and identifies, develops, coordinates, and implements business development plans designed to attract new business opportunities. Daryl represents Falcon’s Beyond at virtual and in-person trade shows and events to connect with potential buyers and clients.

Daryl served in the same capacity for Falcon’s Creative Group for nearly four years before officially moving into his role at Falcon’s Beyond. Prior to joining Falcon’s, Daryl served as president of CAVU Designwerks, a company he co-owned that specializes in ride system development. He was Director of Engineering, Parts and Services Division at Dynamic Attractions for two and a half years, prior to CAVU. His responsibilities at Dynamic Attractions included managing projects and business relationships while collaborating with the sales team to develop and present amusement ride proposals to clients worldwide.

As a young adult, Daryl tapped into his entrepreneurial roots to start Revolutionary Performance and Machine LLC. He managed daily operations and led research and development to create high-horsepower racing engines for record-setting drag race, circle-track, and land-speed racing cars worldwide.

Over his decades-long career, Daryl has developed projects for many clients, including Sea World, Lionsgate Entertainment World, Warner Brothers World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Genting SkyWorlds, and Futuroscope, to name a few.

Daryl earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering technology and then a master’s in engineering technology from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to his traditional schooling, Daryl furthered his business acumen by becoming a certified Six Sigma Green Belt.

As the Executive Vice President of Technology at Falcon’s Beyond, Saham Ali leads the charge not only in orchestrating the technology infrastructure that powers our entire organization but also in the continual development of novel products and burgeoning technologies. He explores and challenges next-gen emerging tech to ensure that Falcon’s remains at the forefront of innovation within the industry.

Saham served in the same capacity for Falcon’s Creative Group for more than five years before officially moving into his role at Falcon’s Beyond. Prior to his career with Falcon’s, Saham was the Director of IT at the DAVE School for five and a half years where he managed and developed solutions for the VFX school’s IT needs, such as designing and deploying a 3D printing and VR lab for students, overseeing many aspects of the production process on the sound stage, and maintaining large data sets for staff and students, ensuring a 24/7 uptime.

Before joining the DAVE School’s staff, Saham held a position as IT/Systems Manager at Red Earth VFX Studios. He designed, implemented, and maintained servers and workstations for artists and staff who produced VFX for primetime television and films. Saham contributed to the development of recognizable television series such as Outsourced, Hawaii 5-0, Star Trek: New Voyages, and more.

A feather in Saham’s cap was working with New Mexico’s Economic Development Team to help convert a state-owned supercomputer into a publicly accessible computational resource, before “cloud computing” was even a thing.

With his experience as a technology leader at organizations both big and small, combined with his expertise in facilitating collaboration across diverse ranges of stakeholders, Saham can align separate, varying perspectives into a shared, unified vision—ultimately leading the team to turn that vision into reality. He has the innate ability to communicate across all altitudes of involvement, working closely with leadership to plan, design, and align the technology infrastructure with the company’s needs. With his active history in VFX and IT, his deep understanding of HPC and global networks, his experience in electronic and mechanical engineering, and his nearly 20 years of real production experience, Saham carries the acumen and capability to take Falcons Beyond to new heights.

Saham continually stays engaged in the ever-evolving media and technology fields. He has been invited to speak as a thought leader at numerous industry events such as INFOCOMM, SIGGRAPH, OrlandoIX, and others. Saham remains engaged with local and international educational institutions and learning communities. He currently chairs two educational advisory boards, providing meaningful industry insight and feedback to help schools produce the next generation of impactful artists and engineers.

Saham studied computer engineering at Valencia College and received an occupational associates degree from the DAVE School. He was recently chosen as one of the select few worldwide applicants to take part in Epic Games’ Unreal Engine Virtual Production Fellowship program. He is an active member of the Visual Effects Society, the Themed Entertainment Association, and SIGGRAPH. Saham has been published in several industry magazines, including 3D World, POST Magazine, Theme Park Insider, and Orlando Business Journal.

Toni Caracciolo is the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Branding at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, she is responsible for directing and amplifying Falcon’s brand awareness through its multiple projects, initiatives, and experiences across its three core business units: Falcon’s Creative Group, Falcon’s Beyond Destinations, and Falcons Beyond Brands.

Prior to her current position, Toni served as the Vice President of Global Marketing at Visit Orlando, the official tourism association for Central Florida where she orchestrated multiple successful marketing campaigns that helped create record-breaking visitation for the region.

Before Visit Orlando, Toni served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sea World Parks & Entertainment Inc. (SEA), where she was responsible for overseeing all marketing and sales strategic planning, brand management, project implementation, and result analysis across the three SEA theme park Orlando brands: SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove. Toni led the marketing that was responsible for the company’s largest expansion in history, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, where her experiential integrated program won multiple prestigious industry awards including the International Hermes Creative Award and the Flagler Award.

Falcon’s Beyond benefits from Toni’s extensive and decorated experience in hospitality and entertainment as well as her exceptional leadership skills and commitment to bolster awareness for Falcon’s various identities. Toni has served on several boards of directors, including the executive board of Harbor House of Central Florida, Visit Florida, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. She is an active member of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce and serves as an MBA Mentor and Guest Lecturer at the University of Central Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism and a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Central Florida.

Juan Lorenzo is the Vice President of Finance at Falcon’s Beyond. In this role, Juan oversees the financial systems, including the system strategy to create a cohesive ecosystem across departments. He is also responsible for streamlining the day-to-day accounting practices through process improvement and system implementation. Juan creates financial reporting packages that inform the executive team’s decision-making process, drafts financial statements, and develops internal financial control procedures. Juan is also responsible for managing the accounting and finance functions of the company as well as working closely with the finance teams of our JV partners. Juan’s diligence and innovation supports Falcon’s steady growth trajectory.

Prior to joining Falcon’s Beyond, Juan collected over fifteen years of experience supporting the hospitality industry and live events space. He has managed international teams, significantly improved business processes, and established and maintained financial policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems for multiple brands and joint ventures across the globe.

With Hard Rock International, Juan worked as an A/R Coordinator, Financial Analyst, and Franchise Finance Manager. In these roles, he performed process analysis, managed a team of direct reports, developed, prepared, and presented budget, financial statements, and reporting packages, and directed all accounting activities for more than 150 franchised and licensed units across 74 countries. His responsibilities included development and documentation of standard operating procedures and accounting policies and controls, management of receivables for all licensed units, and financial guidance of new partner acquisition decisions.

With Entertainment Technology Partners, Juan spearheaded finance functions and direct transformation of business and financial outlook as a Corporate Controller and Director of Finance. He oversaw accounting operations and tax matters for multiple brands across the US and UK, maintained a suite of financial applications, managed US and UK based teams, created project plans for software and process implementation, and supervised onboarding of both domestic and international entities. Under his leadership, the team was also a recipient of the Team Impact Award.

Juan received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Western Governors University.

Crystal Fahmie is the Vice President of Operations & Human Capital at Falcon’s Beyond. As the steward of Falcon’s most important commodity, its human capital, Crystal has established herself as an indispensable figure within the organization. She is the go-to advocate for the extended Falcon’s team, supporting employee retention, engagement and satisfaction.

In her capacity, Crystal plays a pivotal part in talent acquisition and the establishment of new global office locations underscoring her instrumental contributions to Falcon’s expansion into the Philippines. Additionally, she oversees Falcon’s facilities and manages all administrative staff, ensuring the seamless operation of the company.

Crystal’s journey at Falcon’s began in 2018 when she joined as an Accountant. Her exceptional contributions extended beyond her designated role, leading to her promotion to Falcon’s Operations Manager in 2019. In this position, she assumed responsibility for the overall flow and efficiency of the organization, especially as the company undertook increasingly ambitious projects.

Recognizing her undeniable positive impact on the studio, Crystal was further promoted to the position of Director of Business Operations in 2022. Her multifaceted involvement in Falcon’s success, including her role in helping Falcon’s Beyond become a publicly listed company on Nasdaq, reflects her dedication and effectiveness.

Crystal’s journey is underpinned by her comprehensive understanding of the creative process and her ability to manage a fast-paced environment while nurturing meaningful client relationships. Her experience, skills, and detail-oriented approach continue to make her an invaluable asset to the Falcon’s team.