SPEAKER: PIERRE YVES (PY) GERBEAU

Pierre Yves Gerbeau Leisure Entrepreneur Personality 2003 and
leading London Business School Lecturer for the past two years

Normally it takes at least 10 years to become a corporate business icon. It took Richard Branson a decade and we are still not sure when we hear “Sir Richard” if it refers to the Virgin King. Yet the letters “PY” can only be one person.

PY?s career to date has included Captain of the French Olympic Ice Hockey team, Vice President of Park Operations at Disneyland Paris, Chief Executive of the Dome and today, he runs the largest Leisure Property group in the UK.

After successfully turning Euro Disney into Europe?s biggest visitor attraction, Disney CEO Michael Eisner recommended him to Tony Blair and PY was appointed Chief Executive of the Dome in February 2000.

Today, moving on from his ?corporate rescuerO?L career and successes, PY is Chief Executive of X-Leisure, the UK?s fastest growing premier leisure brand, with a portfolio of 16 exciting and innovative entertainment and leisure destinations. X-Leisure is strategically located around the UK, making it the largest Leisure property group in the UK.

The flagship brand X-scape is the ultimate entertainment destination with the largest real snow slope in the UK, climbing walls, air parks and ice walls. They also include bowling, water parks, bars, restaurants, clubs, health and fitness, bingo, casinos, lifestyle retails, extreme sport retailers and coffee shops. This concept today, is regarded as the most successful innovation for the leisure/retail/attraction industry in the last 20 years.

PY is, today, regarded as one of the ?guruO?L of the Leisure/retail/entertainment industry, acknowledged by his election as Leisure personality of the year 2003O?L

PY has an MBA from one of France?s leading business schools, teaches on the MBA programme of the London Business School where he has been a lecturer for the last 3 years, running a module on the Experienced Economy. In November 2003, PY embarked on a new career in business/economic broadcasting with a project on Five Live: PY?s Eurovision, which received huge media acclaim.

Regarded as one of the UK?s leading corporate speakers, PY?s speeches can be structured to involve relevant