Experienced Leaders for Your Guest Experience Solutions
Experience Created the Studio
At Guest Experience Studio, our experienced leaders bring decades of executive leadership, hands-on operating experience, and direct support for guest-facing organizations – not simply advisory expertise. Our principals remain directly involved in every engagement, personally conducting on-site assessments and guest journey mapping rather than delegating this critical work to junior associates.
Our perspective extends well beyond the front gate. We understand how the people, processes, and operational decisions behind the scenes shape the guest experience and influence organizational performance.
Guest Experience Studio helps leaders connect these elements, identify opportunities for improvement, and align operations around a more effective guest journey – driving stronger attendance, increased revenue, and sustainable organizational success.
Thor Degelmann and Vero Piacentini are veteran executives with decades of leadership experience across tourism, hospitality, entertainment, recreation, sports, and cultural attractions.
Thor Degelmann
Principal
With 45 years of leadership in the leisure and hospitality sectors – highlighted by a distinguished 33-year tenure at The Walt Disney Company, Thor is a global expert in turning operational complexity into seamless guest experiences. Having held senior executive roles spanning theme park and resort hotel operations, large-scale project leadership, and corporate culture transformation, he brings a world-class pedigree to every partnership.
He applies this global experience to both established brands and emerging ventures across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. As an independent advisor, Thor offers deep expertise in aligning operational excellence with high-performance organizational cultures.
By bridging the gap between high-level strategy and actionable implementation, Thor empowers venues to build resilient teams and consistent brands that drive sustainable, long-term growth.
Vero Piacentini-MBA
Principal
Vero is an executive leader with over 20 years of experience in venue operations, organizational development, and corporate strategy. A specialist in transforming assets across the tourism, sports, and entertainment sectors, he most recently served as Vice President of the New York State Olympic Authority. In this role, he directed multi-site operations and multi-million dollar capital investments that drove a 59% increase in revenue and record-breaking visitation of over 1.2 million guests. By revitalizing historic Olympic venues into modern commercial successes, Vero proved that even the most complex legacy sites can be transformed into high-performing destinations.
Vero has since returned to his core passion: navigating the unique challenges of smaller venues to transform them into world-class experiences. His expertise spans the entire venue value chain, rooted in the conviction that the guest journey is the essential driver of commercial success. With a proven track record in navigating complex stakeholder environments, Vero provides the strategic planning and actionable implementation necessary to build a high-performing workforce and a thriving brand.
Expert Network
We collaborate with a vetted network of industry professionals and subject-matter experts to deliver customized, complete solutions on time and on budget. We fill the gaps, so you do not have to. Whether you are short on staff, time, or technical know-how, we bring together the right people to get the job done, on time, on budget, and in close collaboration with you every step of the way.
