Amanda Jean Thompson (born September 1962) is a British businesswoman who is the CEO of

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Pleasure Beach Resort, best known by its former name Blackpool Pleasure Beach, is an amusement park situated on Blackpool's South Shore, in the county of Lancashire, North West England. The park was founded in 1896 by A. W. G. Bean and his p ...

, president of Stageworks Worldwide Productions,

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

of Big Blue Hotel and the Boulevard Hotel, a patron of the Grand Theatre, Blackpool, and Patron of the Blackpool Civic Trust. She rose to the position of managing director in 2004 after the death of her father, Geoffrey Thompson.Kenneth Shenton (19 June 2004
The Independent: Geoffrey Thompson obituary
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Career

Thompson went to a private school in Oxford, then worked for Disney before producing her first ice show in 1982.Veronica Blake (18 October 1998

Independent Thompson was appointed managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 2004, following the death of her father and grandmother. Her brother, Nicholas Thompson became the deputy managing director. Her sister, Fiona Gilje (nee Thompson) is a board director. Thompson has been a prominent individual within the attractions industries global community and has been involved with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), chairing the Europe, Middle East and Africa committee (EMEA) for numerous years. Currently she holds a place on the EMEA Advisory Committee. She was nominated to the IAAPA board of directors in 2018 and led the Global Attractions industry as chairman of the board in 2020 and 2021, being the first European woman to do so as well as being the first person to chair the association for two consecutive years. Thompson has been nominated within the top 10 most influential individuals in the attractions industry.

Personal life

Thompson was born in London. She was awarded an

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the

2012 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2012 were announced on 31 December 2011 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Amanda 1962 births Living people People from Islington (district) Blackpool Pleasure Beach English businesspeople Officers of the Order of the British Empire