--- description: SeaWorld announced Friday the replacement of several key executives amidst continued controversy over its treatment of killer whales. title: SeaWorld Shakes Up Leadership Team Amid Struggles image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt72619724410b9e78/69887e653c1639275645c1bb/sea-world-orcas-controversy.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Companies](/tag/companies/) ## Companies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # SeaWorld Shakes Up Leadership Team Amid Struggles  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Feb 19, 2016 10:23 PM CUT  The sign at the entrance to SeaWorld Feb. 24, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. The sign at the entrance to SeaWorld Feb. 24, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.Matt Stroshane—Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Feb 19, 2016 10:23 PM CUT SeaWorld Entertainment [announced Friday the replacement of several key executives](http://www.seaworldinvestors.com/news-releases/news-release-details/2016/SeaWorld-Entertainment-Announces-Operating-Leadership-Changes-and-the-Creation-of-its-Resorts-Development-Group/default.aspx "undefined") as the company struggles financially amid the [continued controversy](http://time.com/4105182/seaworld-phase-out-killer-whale-orca-show/ "undefined") over its treatment of killer whales. CEO Joel Manby said that he had replaced the Chief Parks Operations Officer and Chief Zoological Officer through internal promotions and hired an outsider as the new San Antonio Park President. The company is also launching a resorts development group to expand its resorts, the company said. Manby described the shakeup as an effort to “deliver on our strategic priorities.” The company has faced [declining attendance and stock prices](http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/13/investing/seaworld-earnings/ "undefined") in recent years following the documentary _Blackfish’s_ depiction of the treatment of orca whales_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4231203/seaworld-executives-controversy/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4231203/seaworld-executives-controversy/"},"headline":"SeaWorld Shakes Up Leadership Team Amid Struggles","datePublished":"2016-02-19T22:23:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T15:14:18.859Z","description":"The company has faced declining attendance and stock prices in recent years","url":"https://time.com/4231203/seaworld-executives-controversy/","keywords":["Companies"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt72619724410b9e78/69887e653c1639275645c1bb/sea-world-orcas-controversy.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt72619724410b9e78/69887e653c1639275645c1bb/sea-world-orcas-controversy.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"sea world orcas controversy","caption":"sea world orcas controversy","creditText":"Matt Stroshane—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/companies/","name":"Companies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4231203/seaworld-executives-controversy/","name":"SeaWorld Shakes Up Leadership Team Amid Struggles"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: SeaWorld Banned From Breeding Killer Whales","description":"Know Right Now: SeaWorld Banned From Breeding Killer Whales","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/LYHdZq0S/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-10-09T18:49:45.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/LYHdZq0S.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4231203/seaworld-executives-controversy/","duration":"PT1M","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4231203/seaworld-executives-controversy/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```