Marcus Fitzgerald
Senior Events Operations Manager
“I began with Tussauds (now Merlin) in 1997 as an Attraction Guide at Rock Circus. Within my first year I was promoted to a Guest Services Team Leader and then to Guest Services Manager. Following Rock Circus, I worked closely with the Tussauds Studios Team as the Attraction Operations Manager on a one-off ‘Rock & Pop' showcase, and then joined the Events Department at Madame Tussauds London four years ago.
“I studied Travel, Tourism and Leisure Business Management at University, so I was aware of the Tussauds Group as a market leader, and consequently keen to get a job within one of their attractions. But I wasn't expecting to have any long-term future with the company. At the time, I just thought it would be a bit of fun, with the added bonus of working with ‘Rock & Pop Stars' – even if they were wax!
“It all turned out to be a lot more than I expected – there's a great team vibe here, and I soon realised that if you rose to the challenge, the opportunities for career development were there to be taken.
From 50 to 5,000+
“My role within the Events Team is to oversee and manage the logistical and operational aspects of events held at Madame Tussauds London, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park. The scale of events can range from a fairly intimate 50-head dinner to a full-on 5,000-family fun day. My operational team includes hostesses, security, AV technicians and porters, and I'll need to liaise with any entertainers and caterers who may also be involved. We all work together to ensure that events run smoothly, and that we give every guest fantastic customer service and ultimately, a memorable and magical experience. I'm leading a great team, working in unique locations – you could say I enjoy my job very much!
“I don't have a typical day at work, every day is different, and that's the beauty of it! There's never an opportunity to be bored. My job gives me the great feeling of planning and delivering events within an extraordinary setting. And I get fantastic feedback from clients as to how well the team managed their event and what a wonderful choice of venue Madame Tussauds is.
Support and development – the key to success
“There is a very diverse range of talented people from different cultural backgrounds at work within all of our various departments, all striving to make us London's number one attraction. Madame Tussauds believes in developing and investing in good people, as this is key to our success. There's a lot of passion and energy, but it's also a hugely supportive environment with a healthy sense of fun. In many ways, it's the perfect mix.
“My proudest moment? Being selected to attend the Platinum Management Development Programme – a series of group days that ended with me co-presenting a project on marketing and brand awareness for Madame Tussauds New York to the Board of Directors & General Managers! It was no mean feat, but I also got to make some very good friends as well.”
