Months after the announcement of their impending departure, two top leaders have had their final day at Universal Creative.
President Mike Hightower and Chief Creative Officer Thierry Coup officially have left Universal Studios theme parks' design division. Hightower served as president for a little over one year, moving up after former President Mark Woodbury stepped up to become Universal Parks Chairman after Tom Williams' retirement. Hightower had been with Universal since 1995.
Coup had overseen the development some of Universal's most iconic attractions, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the new Super Nintendo World. He has worked two tours at both Universal Creative and Walt Disney Imagineering, starting at Disney back in 1990.
Universal Creative posted a tribute to the pair on its social media: "Mike and Thierry, as you embark on your well-deserved retirement, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your leadership, dedication, and vision that have guided our company to success. Your contributions to our universe have been immeasurable, and your legacy will continue to inspire us."
Universal might be framing the departures as a retirement, but neither is expected to quit working in the industry. Indeed, Coup has started a new shop, JOCOUP Creative, along with Johanna Atilano, who has worked at Universal and BRC Imagination Arts, among other firms in the themed entertainment design industry.
No word yet on Hightower's next project. And we're still awaiting confirmation from Universal on who will be taking over these leaders' former positions at Universal Creative.
For more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.
And to help support Theme Park Insider while saving money on discounted theme park tickets, please follow the ticket icon links our Theme Park listings page.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
