Former Disney Executive in charge of Kelly Slaters Wave Company

The World Surf League (WSL) has hired former Disney Executive, Nick Franklin, as president of the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC).

Franklin will be focused on driving the growth and development of the business globally, pursuing strategic and operational integration with the WSL and leading the continued innovation and evolution of the product, including the wave, the venues and the customer experience.

The KSWC Surf Ranch is located 100 miles inland in Lemoore, California, is home to the longest and finest open-barrel man-made wave in the world and KSWC engineers, scientists and visionaries continue refining, improving and adding versatility to a huge combination of waves available at the push of a button.

WSL CEO, Sophie Goldschmidt, said: ”Nick is a visionary leader and we’re very fortunate to have him join the organisation.”

“It’s a time of unprecedented opportunity for the company with so many exciting aspects to develop, so Nick’s incredible experience, stellar reputation and proven track record will make him vital to the successful future of KSWC and the WSL.”

During his 18 years with Disney, Franklin worked in corporate strategy and in the Theme Park and Resort business unit where he led teams across a wide range of functions including global strategy, business development, real estate development, and brand and operations.

“What drew me to this role is the incredible appeal of surfing, its talented athletes and the opportunity to connect people to this inspirational sport, to create unique memorable moments,” said Franklin.

“But having got my feet under me in the past few weeks and having a chance to see the capabilities of this superb team, I can see all of the enormous potential and am looking forward to building on the amazing foundation of work that’s been done so far by both the KSWC team and partners at the WSL.”

“With the wave technology, Surf Ranch in Lemoore and the connection to the WSL, we have an incredible platform to engage with passionate surfers and also connect with those new to sport to expand the business,” he said.