Zamperla, the Italian design and manufacturing company best known for creating family rides and attractions worldwide, has appointed a new CEO.

In January 2021, Antonio Zamperla JR, grandson of the firm’s founder Antonio Zamperla senior, and son of the company’s president Alberto Zamperla, joined as the new CEO. Accompanying Antonio Zamperla JR in holding new senior positions is Valerio Ferrari as chief sales officer, and Adam Sandy as sales and marketing director of the strategic rollercoaster division.

Antonio Zamperla JR has been working with his father Alberto for more than 20 years. During this time, the company has undergone significant economic growth. With the introduction of robotics and artificial intelligence in the design process, Zamperla is at the height of innovation in attraction design. The father and son team also oversaw the relaunch of Coney Island through the US-based company Central Amusement International.

Zamperla continues to supply the biggest theme parks around the world with rides and attractions and has been involved in the design and construction of amusement parks in Russia, China, the Philippines and other countries.

President Alberto Zamperla commented on the appointments: “Today we can proudly say that there is no amusement park in the world without at least a Zamperla ride. However, the near future, even following the global pandemic that has hit us, needs extraordinary interventions to be able to change gear, manage the next challenges and push innovation to the maximum.

“I think that the appointment of Antonio as CEO, the return of Valerio and the arrival of Adam are exactly the extraordinary interventions that our company needs. My father founded Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. in 1966 and entrusted me with the objective of making our company international. Now it is high time for the third generation to bring the contribution that new technologies and new processes can guarantee to a reality like ours,” Alberto Zamperla added.