Frank Maail

Operational Excellence Leader at SEVEN, driving guest experience and business growth

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

About

I’m a globally experienced leader in the sports, leisure and entertainment industry, with 20+ years of success across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East — including Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Netherlands. My core expertise lies in business turnarounds, operational excellence, and delivering exceptional guest experiences. I’ve led large-scale operations with full P&L accountability (up to $150M), developed IP-licensed attractions from concept to execution, and driven transformational EBITDA growth — including a +300% turnaround at SEVEN cinemas in under 12 months. Whether launching a new theme park, turning around underperforming assets, or growing cross-functional teams, I’m passionate about data-driven leadership, building high-performance cultures, and creating memorable guest journeys.

Experience

  • Saudi Entertainment Ventures | SEVEN (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
    • Director - Operational Excellence
      Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

      In my role as Director of Operational Excellence, I lead strategic initiatives that enhance operational performance, streamline guest and back-of-house processes, and elevate service standards. My focus is on driving consistency, maximizing profitability, and delivering world-class guest experiences—while fostering a culture of safety, efficiency, and high-performing teams. Highly focused on the operational readiness of our Entertainment Destinations which includes: Adventure Parks, FECs, Cinemas, Water Parks and Snow Parks. Whilst leveraging on the experience of operating our AMC Cinemas across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    • Director - Attractions
      Jun 2023 - Dec 2024 · 1 yr 7 mos

      • Business owner of the Cinema portfolio at SEVEN, overseeing full P&L and business planning for complex cinemas. • Achieved a remarkable 300% EBITDA growth and maintained consistent GX scores at 95%, leading to the best year in 2024. • Turned around the cinema business at SEVEN with exceptional financial results and customer satisfaction.

    • Associate Director - Attractions
      Jun 2022 - May 2023 · 1 yr

      • Developed business plans and designs for portfolio attractions at Saudi Entertainment Ventures, leading to enhanced guest experiences and increased revenue. • Acted as a business coach for AMC and corporate projects, focusing on secondary spending and operating procedures. • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to shape the entertainment industry in Saudi Arabia through the development of 50 cinemas, 21 entertainment complexes, and 2 theme parks.

  • Director of Operations at MUVI CINEMAS
    Jan 2021 - Jun 2022 · 1 yr 6 mos

    Accountable for the day to day operations of 21 cinemas (opened 13 in 18 months) including VIP and Boutique experiences, Dolby, Onyx, ScreenX, Xperience and Junior. ~2000 staff including Regional Managers, Cinema Managers, F&B, Customer Experience, H&S, Technical, Maintenance and Facilities.

  • Leisure Lab (3 yrs)
    • Head of Community & Growth - Doerscircle
      Sep 2018 - Jan 2021 · 2 yrs 5 mos

      • Developed and led the Community Strategy for Doerscircle, focusing on Member Engagement and Growth. • Managed Business Development and strategic partnerships, driving deal-making activities to support company growth. • Accountable for driving the growth of the company in Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand through strategic initiatives.

    • Theme Parks & Attractions Business Consultant
      Feb 2018 - Jan 2021 · 3 yrs

      • Led strategic consulting projects for Theme Parks & Attractions in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. • Developed innovative customer experience strategies to drive revenue growth and enhance visitor satisfaction. • Implemented data-driven solutions to optimize operations and improve overall business performance.

    • Head of Community - GetLinks
      May 2018 - Sep 2018 · 5 mos

      Setting up Community and Partnerships Strategy

  • Community Manager at WeWork
    Sep 2017 - Mar 2018 · 7 mos

    Opened the first 2 buildings in Singapore

  • Head of Mobile Attractions at Mega Adventure
    Jul 2017 - Sep 2017 · 3 mos

    Helping Mega Adventure Group to grow profit: an adventure on its own. Accountable for the P&L of the business alongside Team Management and Business Development. Part of the senior leadership team of Mega Adventure Group. #MyMegaAdventure Achievements: - developed and implemented a new business plan which led to the short term achievements below - developed and implemented a new team structure focused on lean operations and career growth opportunities - increased revenue to 125% vs budget - increased EBITDA to 300% vs budget - developed and implemented profit drivers: merchandise, upsell and cross sales - delivered Guest Experience Sales training which drove the change from passive sales to an active sales mentality - set up a business case for a major CAPEX project, handed over for implementation