Kyle Miller Once Ran SeaWorld Orlando. He Is Now President of United Parks, and the Board Changed the Bylaws to Do It
The executive who used to run SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove and Aquatica Orlando now holds the number two job at the company that owns them, a post the bylaws now place under the Chief Executive Officer and the Board. The board of United Parks & Resorts elected Kyle Miller as President effective Tuesday, September 22, and to make the appointment it first had to rewrite its own bylaws.
Kyle Miller, President of United Parks & Resorts. Photo: United Parks & Resorts Inc.
The bylaw had to go first
Until Tuesday, the company's bylaws tied the two titles together. In its Form 8-K, United Parks states that the amendment "provides that the offices of Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company may be held by separate individuals," and that "the Bylaws previously provided that the Chief Executive Officer would also serve as President of the Company."
The board approved the amendment on September 22 and made it effective the same day. Miller's election was pinned to it, "effective as of September 22, 2026, the date of the effectiveness of the amendment to the By-laws." Marc Swanson continues as Chief Executive Officer. In the 8-K's own summary, the President "will have such powers and perform such duties as may be assigned or delegated to the President by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board." The bylaws themselves, filed as Exhibit 3.1, go further. The President serves "subject to the direction and oversight of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer" and is to "assist the Chief Executive Officer in the management of the business and operations of the Corporation."
From Orlando to the second chair
Miller is 49. The 8-K says he has been the company's Chief Parks Operations Officer since January 2023, and before that served as "Park President of SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove, and Aquatica Orlando since 2018." Both documents date his start at the company to 1995; the press release names the employer of the day, Busch Entertainment Corporation.
"We are excited to announce Kyle's promotion to President. Kyle is a highly respected leader with deep operational expertise, and a proven ability to drive results," Swanson said in the announcement. "Having spent more than three decades growing his career within our organization, Kyle has a unique understanding of our business, our culture, and our commitment to delivering experiences that matter."
Miller's own statement: "As I step into this new role, I am honored and excited by the opportunity to help lead United Parks into its next chapter." He added that the parks "have a unique ability to bring families together, inspire guests through extraordinary experiences, and advance our mission of animal care, conservation and rescue."
What the package looks like
The press release says nothing about pay. The 8-K does. Miller gets a base salary of $400,000, an annual bonus target of 150% of base and a long term incentive target of 300% of base.
Three one-time equity grants sit on top of that: a stock option grant sized at $1,000,000, with the share count set by dividing that figure by the closing stock price on the grant date and the strike set at that same price, which makes $1,000,000 the value of the underlying shares rather than the value of the option, restricted stock units with a grant date fair value of $500,000, and performance stock units with a grant date fair value of $1,000,000, a number set under the company's 2027 performance-vesting long term equity incentive plan. All three grants are made under the company's 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan. The option and the restricted stock units vest in four equal yearly slices, one on each of the first four anniversaries of the grant. The filing gives no vesting schedule for the performance stock units.
A second promotion, and a departure
The press release announces a second promotion: Scott Maupin steps up to Chief Parks Operating Officer. He joined United Parks in May 2026 as Co-Chief Parks Operating Officer, arriving from Merlin Entertainments, where the company says he was Senior Vice President and Managing Director leading 45 entertainment destinations across North America. Earlier he held senior roles at Great Wolf Resorts and Six Flags.
Scott Maupin, Chief Parks Operating Officer. Photo: United Parks & Resorts Inc.
Less celebrated in the release: Chief Commercial Officer Christopher Finazzo is on the way out. The 8-K says Finazzo "informed the Company that he was resigning as Chief Commercial Officer" on September 19, effective September 25, which is this Friday. The press release frames it as a departure "to pursue new opportunities" and says the company "thanks Finazzo for his contributions during his tenure and wishes him well in his next chapter."
What it means in Orlando
The practical read for the Orlando parks is that a former local park president now sits in the company's second chair. Attractions Magazine reported in August that Brad Gilmour, already president of Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove, had added SeaWorld Orlando, restoring a single park president across all three for the first time since Miller moved up to the corporate role in January 2023.
Beyond the bylaws language putting the President under the Chief Executive Officer's direction, United Parks has not spelled out how reporting lines change under the new structure, or who now reports to Miller. As of Tuesday evening the company's public leadership page still carried no entry for Miller or Maupin: the five executives it names are Swanson, Christopher Dold, Finazzo, Jim Forrester and Kevin Connelly.
Sources
- United Parks & Resorts Inc., Form 8-K filed September 22, 2026
- United Parks & Resorts Inc., Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Bylaws (Exhibit 3.1)
- PR Newswire, United Parks & Resorts Announces Leadership Updates (September 22, 2026)
- United Parks & Resorts, Leadership
- Attractions Magazine, SeaWorld puts all three Orlando parks under one president (August 7, 2026)
Image credits: Both headshots supplied by United Parks & Resorts Inc.
