Tony Taylor
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at PRKS
Executive
About Tony Taylor
G. Anthony (Tony) Taylor is Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of United Parks & Resorts Inc. (PRKS), roles he has held since 2010; he also leads External Affairs (Governmental and Community Affairs) since 2017 and previously led Corporate Affairs (2013–2015), Governmental Affairs (2012–2015), and Risk Management (2010–2016) . He is 60, holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and speech communication from the University of Missouri and a J.D. from Washington University . Company performance context during his tenure includes FY2024 revenues of $1,725.3M, Adjusted EBITDA of $700.2M, diluted EPS of $3.79, and total revenue per capita of $80.07; management noted five-year stock performance in line with U.S. equity markets and 99.1% Say‑on‑Pay support in 2024 . Tony serves as Corporate Secretary for stockholder communications in PRKS proxy materials .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Parks & Resorts Inc. | Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary | 2010–present | Led External Affairs since 2017; previously led Corporate Affairs (2013–2015), Governmental Affairs (2012–2015), and Risk Management (2010–2016) |
| Anheuser‑Busch Companies, Inc. | Associate General Counsel | 2000–2010 | Senior legal leadership supporting corporate operations |
| Blumenfeld Kaplan (St. Louis) | Principal | 1993–2000 | Legal practice leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed in the 2025 PRKS proxy | — | — | No current external directorships or committee roles disclosed for Mr. Taylor |
Fixed Compensation
- Mr. Taylor was not a Named Executive Officer (NEO) in FY2024; his individual base salary, target bonus, and cash payouts are not itemized in the proxy. Executive pay decisions are governed by the Compensation Committee’s chartered processes and policies .
- Company-wide compensation architecture emphasizes performance pay, equity weighting, clawbacks, and ownership guidelines: annual/base pay structures and decision-making cadence are set by the Compensation Committee with independent adviser Haigh; base salaries are positioned competitively and reviewed with role scope and performance in mind .
Performance Compensation
- PRKS annual incentives for executives are structured with a balanced scorecard; 50% of target annual bonus is delivered as PSUs granted at the outset of the year, with remaining 50% in cash, and metrics include Adjusted EBITDA, revenue, guest satisfaction, and department/discretionary goals .
- Long-term incentives emphasize performance: 75% of annual LTI in PSUs tied to multi‑year Adjusted EBITDA and growth goals (3–4 years); 25% in stock options that only deliver value with stock price appreciation; selective time‑based RSUs are used for new hires, promotions, or retention .
Company CEO 2024 Annual Bonus framework (illustrative of executive design; Tony-specific metrics not disclosed):
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout vs Target | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA (pre‑bonus) ($M) | 45% | 902.0 | 700.2 | 0.0% | PSU settlement post‑performance |
| Total Revenues ($M) | 15% | 2,023.0 | 1,725.3 | 0.0% | PSU settlement post‑performance |
| Department Capital Expenditures | 10% | — | — | 31.5% (component payout) | Cash/PSU per plan |
| Department Cost Basis | 15% | — | — | 0.0% (component not met) | Cash/PSU per plan |
| Guest Satisfaction | 15% | — | — | 0.0% (below threshold across parks) | Cash/PSU per plan |
| Cost Objectives Adjustment | — | — | — | −25.0% (Company cost target not met) | Applied to total |
Notes: “No max” payout applies to financial metrics (EBITDA, revenue) via 0.5% of target per $1M above target; discretionary components have historically not paid above target; exact executive metric weights vary by role .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership and vested/unvested breakdown for Mr. Taylor are not disclosed in the 2025 proxy’s ownership tables (which list directors and NEOs) .
- Stock ownership guidelines: CEO 6× base salary; other executive officers 3× base salary; directors 5× retainer. Executives and directors must retain 50% of net shares post‑tax/exercise, strengthening long‑term alignment .
- Hedging and pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging or pledging of PRKS stock, reducing misalignment risk .
- Clawbacks: Incentive awards are subject to robust clawback provisions for fraud, misconduct, mistakes, or administrative error, and as required under Dodd‑Frank, Sarbanes‑Oxley, and NYSE rules .
Employment Terms
- Role inception and tenure: Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary since 2010; expanded scope includes leadership of External Affairs since 2017 .
- Change‑in‑control treatment (plan‑wide): Service‑based awards use double‑trigger vesting (termination under certain circumstances or if awards are not assumed/substituted post‑transaction); performance awards consider actual performance through the change‑in‑control date for any acceleration .
- Non‑transferability and plan administration: Awards are non‑transferable (with limited exceptions); the Compensation Committee administers and may adjust awards in corporate events subject to stockholder approval constraints and no repricing without stockholder consent .
- Tax gross‑ups: No excise tax gross‑ups upon change in control, per company policy .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Policy architecture (PSU‑heavy LTI, ownership guidelines, clawbacks, ban on hedging/pledging) supports pay‑for‑performance and long‑term alignment; however, absence of Tony‑specific ownership and grant disclosures limits precision on his individual “skin‑in‑the‑game” assessment .
- Retention risk: Tony’s long tenure and expanded remit suggest institutional knowledge and continuity; selective RSU use for retention is part of PRKS policy, yet no Tony‑specific retention grants are disclosed .
- Governance context: Hill Path’s significant ownership and Board representation (Compensation Committee chaired by Scott Ross with Hill Path designees) increases sponsor influence over compensation design; safeguards include the 2024 Stockholders Agreement amendment (proportional voting above 24.9%) and disinterested approvals . The 2025 special meeting’s additional buyback authorization up to $500M and potential float reduction may heighten control dynamics and liquidity considerations for trading signals .
- Performance backdrop: FY2024 delivered resilient EPS growth despite EBITDA softness; multi‑year TSR characterization as “in line” suggests no outsized equity tailwind or headwind in recent periods; risk events (material weakness in ICFR remediated in late 2023) have been addressed .