The man dubbed by UK tabloids the “King of the Dome” is the guest speaker for the 2004 TTJ Awards.
Dynamic French entrepreneur, PY Gerbeau, then vice president of EuroDisney, was recommended to Tony Blair to run the Millennium Dome by Disney boss Michael Eisner.
The press said the job was a “poisoned chalice” and also disapproved of appointing a Frenchman. But Mr Gerbeau was undaunted and, although political interference made running the Dome as a business impossible, he did manage to increase visitor numbers and won over the media through his irrepressible enthusiasm.
“Super confident, charming, some would say obsessed, he comes across as an unstoppable force, a cheerful hustler who relishes the enormity of the challenge,” said the BBC‘s Andrew Walker.
After leaving the Dome, Mr Gerbeau became chief executive of X-Leisure, now the UK’s fastest growing leisure business.
Today, he also addresses business functions on a range of issues. He was PR Week Communicator of the Year 2001 and Leisure Personality of the Year 2003.
His background gives Mr Gerbeau a unique perspective on UK industry’s relations with the rest of Europe in general and France in particular. Interestingly he believes that “currently the UK is the only place to do business in the EU“.
A former ice-hockey pro, Mr Gerbeau is underlining his commitment to this country by acting as official ambassador for London’s 2012 Olympic bid .
“Paris is one of the main rivals, so you can imagine what they think of a Parisian former Olympic French ice hockey captain promoting London!” he said.
