Chief Executive Officer · Topgolf International
David
McKillips
Three Decades Building the Experiences the World Lines Up For
From SeaWorld to Warner Bros., Six Flags to Chuck E. Cheese, and now Topgolf — David McKillips has spent his career turning entertainment brands into cultural institutions.
David McKillips
CEO · Topgolf International
About David
An Executive Defined by Reinvention
David McKillips brings more than 30 years of experience across the family entertainment, media, and theme park industries. His career has been defined by an ability to enter complex organizations — often at their most challenging moments — and engineer lasting transformation.
In the late 2000s, McKillips was among the Senior Leadership that guided the Six Flags Theme Parks through a debt restructuring and brand transformation, leading into years of attendance and revenue growth. While there, he successfully launched Six Flags Media Networks, the company's sponsorship and licensing division, then took over the company's F&B and Retail operations before leading International Operations and Development.
As President and CEO of CEC Entertainment, McKillips led the successful execution of a financial reorganization, safely reopened all domestic locations following the COVID-19 pandemic, recapitalized the company's balance sheet, and set the company on a trajectory for long-term growth. He expanded Chuck E. Cheese venues internationally to nearly 100 locations by the end of 2021, launched Pasqually's Pizza & Wings as one of the first virtual kitchen delivery-only brands, signed the first Chuck E. Cheese frozen pizza licensing deal, and drove the accelerating growth of Peter Piper Pizza. Drawing on his deep background in intellectual property, he created CEC's Global Licensing & Entertainment Division — a dedicated unit charged with building value through the Chuck E. Cheese characters across film, television, online media, publishing, and gaming platforms.
Career Highlights
- —Led financial reorganization & recapitalization of CEC Entertainment through Chapter 11
- —Expanded Chuck E. Cheese internationally to nearly 100 locations by end of 2021
- —Launched Pasqually's Pizza & Wings — one of the first virtual kitchen delivery-only brands
- —Signed first-ever Chuck E. Cheese frozen pizza licensing deal
- —Created Global Licensing & Entertainment Division — film, TV, gaming, publishing
- —VP, Advertising & Custom Publishing Sales — DC Comics / Warner Bros. Entertainment
- —SVP In-Park Services, Six Flags — F&B, retail, games & procurement across all U.S. parks
Education
- University of GeorgiaB.A., Communication Studies
- New York UniversityPost-Graduate Certificates, Marketing & Finance
Leadership Philosophy
How He Leads — and Why It Works
Clarity
Ambiguity is the enemy of great execution. McKillips believes that a leader's first job is to make the mission unmistakably clear — what we're doing, why we're doing it, and what winning looks like.
Communication
Strategy lives and dies in the spaces between conversations. McKillips has led teams of 17,000 people and learned that the quality of communication — not the quality of the plan — determines outcomes.
Speaking in Superlatives
McKillips doesn't believe in incremental ambition. His operating principle means setting the standard so high that even falling short produces something extraordinary.
"The best experiences in the world are not designed by people who aim for good enough. We speak in superlatives because that's the only language guests remember."
— David McKillips, CEO Topgolf International
Across every chapter of his career — parks, IP, licensing, restaurants, venues — the through-line is the same: an obsession with how people actually experience a brand, and a refusal to settle for anything that merely meets expectations.
It's a philosophy honed across 17,000-person operating teams, billion-dollar P&Ls, and the kind of crisis moments that define careers. The principles are simple. The execution is anything but.
Career Journey
A Career Built on Iconic Brands
The Beginning
Early Career
SeaWorld & Sesame Place
Early Operations Leadership
McKillips began his entertainment career on the front lines of some of the most beloved family destinations in America. SeaWorld and Sesame Place gave him his foundational education in large-scale guest experience — learning from the inside out what separates a good day out from an unforgettable one.
IP & Licensing
Late 1990s – Early 2000s
Warner Bros. / DC Comics
VP, Advertising & Custom Publishing Sales
Moving into the world of intellectual property at Warner Bros. and DC Comics expanded McKillips' understanding of how brands create cultural resonance. He forged landmark partnerships including a collaboration with LeBron James and Coca-Cola Powerade, and a deal with NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon — demonstrating his ability to bring bold cross-industry ideas to life at scale.
Scale & Innovation
2000s – 2019
Six Flags Entertainment
SVP In-Park Services → President, International
Six Flags was where McKillips built his reputation as an operator of genuine scale. He guided the company through a debt restructuring and brand transformation, launched Six Flags Media Networks from scratch, led In-Park Services managing 17,000 employees across F&B, retail, games and procurement, and ultimately served as President of International — overseeing the inception of the first Six Flags theme park in Saudi Arabia at Qiddiya, which opened December 31, 2025.
The Turnaround
Jan 2020 – Feb 2026
CEC Entertainment
President & CEO
McKillips joined CEC in January 2020 — six weeks later, a global pandemic closed all 658 locations. He navigated Chapter 11 bankruptcy, secured a $350M strategic investment, launched the brand's first membership program, created Pasqually's Pizza & Wings, and left the brand materially stronger than he found it.
The Next Chapter
Feb 2026 → Present
Topgolf International
Chief Executive Officer
Effective February 23, 2026, McKillips assumed leadership of Topgolf International — operating 100+ venues and powering the industry-leading Toptracer ball-tracking technology. Under new majority owner Leonard Green & Partners, he is charged with accelerating Topgolf's evolution from golf venue operator to comprehensive experiential entertainment brand.
Notable Collaborations
The Partnerships That Defined an Era
LeBron James × Coca-Cola Powerade
A landmark cross-industry partnership negotiated during McKillips' Warner Bros. tenure — bringing together one of the most iconic athletes of the era with a category-defining beverage brand.
Jeff Gordon × NASCAR
A multi-faceted licensing and media deal with the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion — a textbook case of pairing IP with audience at peak cultural relevance.
Six Flags × Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia
Oversaw the inception of the first Six Flags theme park in Saudi Arabia at the Qiddiya entertainment city — a flagship of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 initiative.
Media Coverage
In the Press
Connect
Let's Start a Conversation
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