Merlin Entertainments: Unleash Your Leadership Potential with Ticket to Lead

Merlin Entertainments, a global leader in branded entertainment destinations, today proudly launches Ticket to Lead, a development program designed to nurture and empower teammates from every corner of the globe. This global initiative reflects Merlin’s key purpose: to bring joy, create connections and make memories.

This new virtual leadership course empowers participants to unlock their full potential and pave their own path to success. Over the course of six weeks, delegates will dive deep into the intricacies of leadership, discovering their unique strengths, and learning how to harness them for maximum impact.

Led by Merlin’s Executive Committee members as well as Merlin’s Global Directors and from its global Learning and Development teams, ‘Ticket to Lead’ enables current, new, and aspiring leaders around the world to study a range of topics which all align with Merlin’s new values.

Examples include:

• Uncover their purpose and how it aligns with Merlin’s values.
• How to build highly effective and engaged teams.
• Learn ways to implement guest experience strategies.
• Establish strong leadership foundations.
• Connect with peers globally, sharing stories and building lasting relationships.

Merlin’s inaugural pilot cohort witnessed outstanding achievements, boasting an exceptional +81 Net Promoter Score (NPS) and a remarkable 91% engagement rate. Participants experienced a +21% increase in confidence, while an impressive 84% affirmed that the Ticket to Lead program significantly accelerated their growth as leaders. Notably, managers also took note, with 79% acknowledging the positive impact on their team members.

Graeme Johnson,Talent Leadership & Learning Director at Merlin Entertainments: “We’re thrilled to launch Ticket to Lead, a pioneering program designed to unleash the potential of emerging leaders worldwide at Merlin. As we embark on this journey, we eagerly anticipate how leadership development will flourish through ongoing support, mentoring, and the network cultivated within the program. Ticket to Lead isn’t just a virtual course, it’s a transformative journey towards leadership excellence, and we’re excited to begin the journey and see the incredible impact it will have on individuals and teams around the globe.”

In conjunction with the launch of the new virtual leadership course, Merlin celebrates its outstanding performance in 2023, marked by unprecedented levels of guest satisfaction. The evolution of Merlin’s strategy underscores the crucial connection between employee happiness, engagement, and guest enjoyment.

As announced last month, in 2023 Merlin achieved unparalleled excellence in guest satisfaction, evident through its record-breaking NPS score. This milestone reflects Merlin’s steadfast commitment to fostering an environment where every team member can thrive. The company’s annual engagement survey reaffirmed this success, with 87% participation rate, a 3%+ increase compared to the previous year, and an impressive overall engagement score of 68%.

The first cohort of Ticket to Lead participants will begin in April 2024 with more than 200 delegates due to start their journey next month and with the aim to have more than 750 participants by the end of the year. This initiative aims to propel Merlin one step closer to its vision of being the greatest place to work and play.

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