少年热爱，终赴山海
Zamperla is one of the world’s largest maker of attractions. We work with everyone, from small family parks to Disney. I lead a global team of 20 salespeople, and we do a lot of team selling. Let me tell you about my winding path.
When you’re young, you may put up posters of sports stars or musicians. I had amusement-park maps and posters of roller-coaster designers on my wall. I would draw coaster layouts for hours. It was a strange obsession, I know. I was a history major, which taught me writing and critical thinking — skills I use every day. After college, I wrote to every ride manufacturer and park I could find. I got nothing but rejection letters.
My first job was selling advertising for an industry weekly. I was painfully shy — I once hid under the dining-room table at my own third birthday. So talking to strangers was terrifying. But I forced myself to do it, and slowly I learned how sales actually works. That job lasted from 2001 to 2003.
Then I joined Ride Entertainment, a small company where I had to wear many hats: ride installation, contracts, marketing, even social media. Being at a small company meant I touched every part of the business. But sales and coasters were always my real interest. By 2020, I felt I had learned everything I could there. The same day I announced I was leaving, Zamperla called. They needed someone to build their roller-coaster division. It was risky — they weren’t known for great coasters. But I had spent nearly 20 years learning this industry inside and out, and I could see they were finally serious about investing. If we pulled it off, we could jump from a C-level maker to an A-level one.
I was that nerdy kid with coaster posters. Now I help design the rides that go on other kids’ walls. I hope my story helps you find your own path.