Robert L. Ward, Inc. 2005-2008
President
2007 – 2008
·
Executive
Creative Advisor to Universal Studios Korea Property Holding Company in Seoul,
Korea who has an exclusive development agreement with Universal Studios Parks &
Resorts in Korea. Directing a team
of Korean and US based consultants and staff in the site assessment feasibility,
master planning and design of a proposed $3.5 billion world class Universal
Studios theme park and destination resort.
·
Partnered
with Philippe Cousteau Jr. and Andrew Snowhite in Azure Worldwide with the
mission to create relationships and experiences that empower individuals,
communities and businesses to improve the health and sustainability of their
environment and community while adding value to partners and consumers.
Philippe recognizes a broad range of global environmental and social
issues and the opportunity to synthesize them in new ways through experiences
and media that empower all people to be positive stewards of the planet.
·
Executive
Creative Advisor to Film Master Group in the proposed development of a Cinecitta
Studios destination attraction at the historical film studios in Rome, Italy.
·
Executive
Creative and Placemaking Advisor to 8th Wonder International in the
creation of a proposed, multi-billion dollar destination gaming and
entertainment resort, Starport, at the Incheon International Airport, Seoul,
Korea. Collaborated in all aspects
of strategic master planning, design and guest placemaking attributes.
· Executive Creative and Placemaking Advisor to the Brossier Company on a true public-private partnership with the City of Maitland, Florida of a 15 acre, mixed-use urban town center that will become the central heart of the community.
·
Member of
the Orlando Mayor’s Edgewater Drive Strategic Vision Task Force charged with
developing a framework of Development Principals and Design Guidelines to guide
growth in the downtown district of College Park.
·
Member of
the Interstate 4 Design Review Committee for Orange County and the City of
Orlando, Florida charged with providing oversight of the complete interstate
roadway reconstruction through downtown Orlando.
·
Championed
I-4 DRC Bridge District concept that realizes a never seen before solutions
removing real and perceived barriers often created by highways dividing cities.
Identified key Bridge District transportation and mixed-use opportunities
that will contribute added value benefits toward achieving Orlando’s strategic
vision goals of community cohesion, enhanced social values, seamless pedestrian
mobility, new business and residential growth and memorable sense of place.
·
Collaborated
with Philippe Cousteau Jr., Azure Worldwide, to provide strategic advisory
services on ecological and environmental sustainability initiatives to Steve
Case’s Revolution Places development company for their Cacique, Costa Rica
luxury destination residences and resort project.
Developed eco-tourism, sustainable educational activities and
environmental experiences programming.
2006
·
Executive
Creative Advisor, Master Planner and Destination Attraction developer for 8th
Wonder International’s proposed $5.5 billion casino resort on Sentosa Island,
Singapore. Responsible for
orchestrating a Who’s Who list of international designers, architects, engineers
and global technology companies toward a single Big Idea in a very limited time
frame.
2005
·
Establishment of Robert L. Ward, Inc. to provide strategic business insights,
brand development, master planning and creative services to the mixed-use and
resort destination development business worldwide.
·
Continued
participation with the Universal City California Master Planning Team refining
the development program and property wide 2030 Vision Plan for Universal Studios
Hollywood.
·
Retained by
the Town of Preston, Connecticut to evaluate and provide an informed assessment
of a proposed $1.5 billion mixed-use resort destination development within the
towns jurisdiction. The highly
successful Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos are located in Preston attracting 25
million patrons in 2004, which has already generated significant infrastructure,
transportation and municipal services impacts to the local rural area.
·
Collaborated
with Jack Rouse Associates and Aldar Property Development in Abu Dhabi, UAE on
the conceptualization and master planning of the Ferrari World theme park and
Formula One track scheduled to open in 2010.
NBC Universal 2004
Vivendi Universal Entertainment 2000-2004
International Business Development
Universal Parks & Resorts
2000 - December 2004
·
Key member of the Universal City California Master Planning Team charged with
envisioning a Universal City 2030 Vision Plan for NBC Universal West Coast Real
Estate. The Vision Plan includes
expansion development and enhancements property wide with the intention of
gaining entitlements for existing and proposed land uses.
Responsible for the integration of Theme Park and Production Studio
business unit’s requirements.
·
Instrumental
in the development and direction of Universal Parks & Resort’s International
Strategic Expansion Plan.
·
Responsible
for all design and planning aspects of new business predevelopment activities
including research, site selection, partner relations, government interfaces,
infrastructure and transportation negotiations, land use planning, product
master planning and management of related consultant resources.
·
Participated
in the development of relationships with Chinese Government and private sector
entities resulting in:
§
Proposed
$1.0 billion Universal Studios Shanghai project to have been completed in 2007
§
Proposed
$1.0 billion Universal Studios Beijing project to have been completed in 2010.
·
Provided
creative oversight and program recommendations to Sumitomo Corporation, the
licensee of Universal’s CityWalk in Osaka, Japan.
Created a Phase Two expansion strategy and conceptual master plan.
·
Key
contributor responsible for all design and planning predevelopment aspects of
new business opportunities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Germany and
Italy. These projects were resort
and urban based typically containing theme parks, hotels, residential and
retail/commercial mixed use components on sites varying from 20 to 1215
hectares, 50 to 3000 acres.
Seagrams
1995–1999
Senior Vice
President
Design &
Planning
Universal
Parks & Resorts
1995 – 1999
·
Directed the
creative imagery positioning and brand identity development for all Universal
Orlando Resort products including the theme parks, hotels, CityWalk and the
overall Resort property.
·
Directed the
creation, planning, and preliminary design development of CityWalk Orlando,
Universal’s retail, dining and entertainment complex.
·
Directed the
preliminary planning activities for 5000 resort lodging rooms at the Universal
Orlando Resort. Initiated detailed
planning and preliminary design of three distinctively unique hotels; the
Portofino Bay, the Hard Rock, and the Royal Pacific, totaling 2400 rooms open
for operation between 1999 and 2002.
·
Participated
in the initial conception, overall creative development and master planning of
Universal’s $1.2 billion Islands of Adventure Theme Park opened in 1999.
Responsible for the integration of the theme park into the greater
Universal Orlando Resort destination.
·
Participated
in master planning Universal Mediterranea Resort near Barcelona, Spain,
encompassing 825 hectares, 2038 acres.
The resort vision builds on the core assets of the site to create the
quintessential Mediterranean family resort experience.
The major elements of the master plan include significant theme park
expansion, 6000 hotel rooms, 3000 vacation and single family residences, mixed
use commercial/retail, and extensive recreational facilities.
·
Directed the
preliminary master planning of the 56 hectare, 140 acre Universal Studios Japan
Theme Park and the Universal City Osaka Master Development Plan for the 34
hectare, 85 acre, peripheral real estate development area adjacent the theme
park.
·
Responsible
for the mixed-use development master planning of the proposed 836 hectare, 2065
acre expansion of the Universal Orlando Resort, including the one million square
foot expansion of the Orange County Convention Center.
This site was detached by 1.6 kilometers, 1 mile, from the original
Resort property and also contained a $100 million environmental remediation
effort, extensive wetlands mitigation and strategic regional transportation
linkages. The master plan vision
led to the sale of key parcels to Orange County, Florida, four flag hotels and
two national residential developers.
1991 – 1994
·
Responsible
for and directed the master planning and strategic placemaking principals of the
Universal Orlando Resort, Universal’s $3 billion plus premier entertainment
resort destination in Orlando, Florida.
Responsible for insuring the successful execution of these principals in
site work, infrastructure, stormwater management, roadways, landscape, lighting
and signage. Also included the
design of parking structures totaling 20,000 cars and the related pedestrian
walkways and bridges connecting to the theme parks and CityWalk.
·
Participated
in the initial start up of pre-development activities in Japan, Singapore, and
Hong Kong.
·
Participated
in pre-development activities, research, site selection, government and partner
relations for Universal Studios Japan, a $3.0 billion project opened in April
2001.
MCA, Inc. 1982–1990
Vice President
Design & Planning
MCA
Recreation Group
·
Co-Founder
of Universal Creative, Universal Parks & Resorts creative think tank responsible
for the creation, implementation and rejuvenation of Universal Studio’s
entertainment destination projects worldwide.
·
Instrumental
in repositioning the Universal Studios Tour from it’s initial beginnings in
Hollywood as a straight forward “industrial tour” into one of the recognized
leaders of destination entertainment, theme parks and resorts worldwide.
·
Key
participant in the creation, implementation and operation of Universal Studios
Florida opened in Orlando, June 1990.
· Responsible for master planning, architectural design, art direction, and the overall theme park placemaking principals of Universal Studios Florida which contributed toward it’s groundbreaking success in the out of home entertainment destination market, until then exclusive to the Walt Disney Company.
·
Contributed
to the creation of Universal CityWalk Hollywood that fundamentally defined the
term “Location Based Entertainment” and continues to be a benchmark referenced
by destination developers today.
·
Responsible
for master planning and design of new attractions for Universal Studios
Hollywood that became the foundation for a whole new, cutting edge entertainment
product and business model.
Studio Eleven 1978-1980
Founder &
Principal
The Main Street Design Company 1975–1977
Founder &
Principal
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus World 1974
Director of
Design
Walt Disney Productions 1971–1973
Walt Disney
Imagineering
Project
Installations Manager, Director of Graphics
Bachelor of Arts Degree 1971