prof. Pierre-Yves Gerbeau

PY is Executive Director of Capital & Regional, the £1bn leisure property company. Voted Personality of the Year by his industry peers, he heads the X-Leisure business: a number of entertainment centres which house real snow ski slopes, multiplex cinemas and hand-picked retailers all operating under one roof, including the regenerated colliery at Castleford, Brighton Marina and Braehead Glasgow.

PY famously became Chief Executive of the Dome in February 2000. He did a great deal to turn around the Government-built attraction, generating over six million visitors. Such is his energy that on a rare day off he won the Pro-Am in the Alfred Dunhill Cup at St Andrews.

Before coming to the UK, PY had already honed his skills in corporate rescue as Vice President, Operations at Disneyland Paris, where he was credited with turning the attraction around after a difficult start.

PY believes that management should lead by example and attributes his success in part to breaking down the layers of hierarchy. He stresses the need to ‘live the brand’, and see its values extend into every aspect of the organisation. Alongside this is the need constantly to control costs, and to take action which can often appear ruthless. Without this, recovery is impossible.

PY is a former Captain of the French Olympic Ice Hockey team. He is a scratch golfer, holds an MBA from one of France’s leading business schools, and serves as a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Imperial College, London.