Promotion – Thinkwell

Thinkwell Group Promotes Three Long-Term Employees to Become Principals at the Company

Thinkwell Group

Thinkwell appoints Dave Cobb, Cynthia Sharpe, and Chris Durmick to new company designations
LOS ANGELES, CA — Thinkwell Group, a global experience design and production agency specializing in the creation of theme parks, major attractions, live events, and museum exhibits around the world, has announced the appointments of Dave Cobb, Cynthia Sharpe, and Chris Durmick to Principals at Thinkwell. The new designation of Principal is reserved for employees who are industry professionals that have built a robust career within the company and the industry, and have shown exceptional leadership qualities, subject matter expertise, and superior client rapport.

“We are incredibly excited for these three long-time Thinkwell employees to become the first Principals at Thinkwell,” said Joe Zenas, CEO of Thinkwell. “Dave, Cynthia, and Chris have been amazing assets to our organization and we couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments, not just here at Thinkwell, but also within our industry.”

Dave Cobb, who was formerly the Vice President of Creative Development, has been promoted to Principal, Creative Development and will continue to guide all phases of project development with a focus on story and guest experience. Cynthia Sharpe, formerly Senior Director of Cultural Attractions and Research, has been promoted to Principal, Cultural Attractions & Research, where she will continue to play an integral part in all cultural attractions projects and educational programming for the company’s projects. Chris Durmick, formerly Senior Director, Creative Development, has been promoted to Principal, Attractions & Museums and will guide the content and guest experience for projects that range from theme park attractions to museums and exhibitions.

“Dave, Cynthia, and Chris bring a remarkable breadth of knowledge and experience to our company. They are integral members of our creative team and bring an exceptional level of creativity, experience, professionalism and leadership to the projects they lead,” said Craig Hanna, Chief Creative Officer, Thinkwell.

About Thinkwell Group
Founded in 2001, Thinkwell is a global experience design and production agency specializing in the creation and master planning of theme parks, destination resorts, major branded and intellectual property attractions, events & spectaculars, museums & exhibits, expos and live shows around the world. The award-winning company has become a leader in experiential design by bringing a unique holistic approach to every creative engagement, delivering extraordinary results to notable clients over the years, including Fortune 500 companies, movie studios, museums, theme parks and destination resorts. For more information visit: www.thinkwellgroup.com.
# # #

Thinkwell Group Appoints Former Walt Disney Imagineering Executive Diane Michioka to Vice President of Production

Andrea Yoo

Michioka to oversee production and project management for growing departments at Thinkwell Group

LOS ANGELES, CA — Thinkwell Group, a global experience design and production agency specializing in the creation of theme parks, major attractions, live events, and museum exhibits around the world, has announced the appointment of Diane Michioka to Vice President of Production. Michioka is responsible for overseeing Thinkwell’s project teams and production departments, as well as supporting external growth opportunities and internal operations management.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to join Thinkwell, an established leader in the experience design and production industry. It’s evident that a tremendous amount of care has been taken in developing successful and thriving creative, design, and production teams here while still nurturing the company’s unique culture,” says Michioka. “I look forward to being a part of this dynamic company and supporting Thinkwell in maintaining its position as a premium global agency.”
Michioka brings over 20 years of experience in short and long-term strategic project planning, show producing, and creative team management. Because of her intimate and thorough knowledge of the industry, Michioka will have a key role in assisting the business development team with client relations and proposal development, as well as guiding, strategizing, and improving the overall process for the project teams.

“We are so pleased that Diane has joined Thinkwell and brings with her an immeasurable amount of expertise and experience about our industry,” said François Bergeron, Chief Operating & Financial Officer of Thinkwell.
Prior to joining Thinkwell, Michioka worked at Walt Disney Imagineering as the Director of Disneyland Design Studio and as the Manager for Creative Division Planning. In these two positions, Michioka was responsible for managing design and production teams from blue sky development through post-opening, while overseeing schedules, budgets, and staffing. Michioka has also previously worked as a Senior Producer for The Hettema Group, a Show Manager for the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge at Disney California Adventure Park, and in a variety of other creative and marketing executive roles.

Thinkwell Group Promotes Dave Cobb to Vice President, Creative Development

Andrea Yoo

Company sees Cobb as industry leader, evangelist and promotion acknowledges his contribution to major and strategic projects within the organization.
BURBANK, CALIF. (April 20, 2015) — Thinkwell Group, a worldwide experience design and production agency specializing in the creation of theme parks, major attractions, events, museums, exhibits, expos, and live shows around the world, today announced the promotion of Dave Cobb to Vice President, Creative Development. The move acknowledges his significant creative contributions to key projects at Thinkwell.
Dave joined the company in 2007, coming from Paramount Pictures/Paramount Parks as a creative director. He has worked on many creative developments over the past eight years, including some of the largest projects at Thinkwell, such as Monkey Kingdom theme park in China, confidential projects for Warner Bros., a television animation series development for a major U.S. cable network, Jurassic Dream Daqing in China, and a touring exhibition for the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Dave is a much sought after speaker at international conferences, including: The Gamification Summit, MindShare LA, TEA Summit, SATE, and EvenTech. He has also spoken at the IAAPA Future Legends Panel in the past.
“We are extremely pleased to acknowledge Dave’s role as a senior member of the creative team at Thinkwell,” said Craig Hanna, Chief Creative Officer at Thinkwell Group. “Dave is an incredible talent, is recognized throughout the industry as a thought leader, and continues to advocate for innovative guest experiences around the world.”
“The creative brain trust that Thinkwell has cultivated over the last decade truly excites me,” said Dave Cobb on his promotion. “I’m energized by the collaborative spirit that we foster at Thinkwell and every day is a chance to mentor and develop new talent. Our ongoing, diverse slate of projects is thrilling and challenging, and I’m excited for all the incredible ways we are evolving the future of guest experiences.”
Dave’s current project assignments include the oversight and creative direction of a major theme park development, family entertainment center, and indoor ski and snow projects in the Middle East and China, amongst others.
About Thinkwell Group
Founded in 2001, Thinkwell is a global design and production agency that connects companies with custom content-driven experiences in the physical world. The agency headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Beijing and Abu Dhabi collaborates with its clients to envision, strategize, and create immersive, one-of-a-kind guest experiences. Thinkwell specializes in the creation of theme parks, resorts, museums, exhibits, location-based entertainment, live performances and events around the world. The award-winning company has become a leader in experiential design by bringing a unique holistic approach to every creative engagement, delivering extraordinary results to notable clients over the years, including Fortune 500 companies, film studios, museums, theme parks and destination resorts. For more information visit: www.thinkwell.staging.work
Media Contact:
Ariana Jarvis
[email protected]
# # #
Download a PDF of the press release here.