Rod Findley

Rod Findley is the president of Immotion, the global leader in immersive edutainment. The company combines entertainment and education by filming live action, stereoscopic 360 VR experiences and then syncing the camera motion in a VR headset with motion seats. This creates a fully immersive experience that transports guests to different worlds. Immotion brings its VR theatres to non-profit organisations, such as aquariums and zoos.

Findley has expanded Immotion to become the leading edutainment attraction company for zoos and aquariums. Thanks to Findley, Immotion has partnered with conservation organisations, including the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Marine Megafauna Foundation. Under his leadership, the company won the 2023 Lumiere Award in the Best Use of VR category for its Gorilla Trek immersive experience.

“Gorilla Trek was a unique piece for us. We were able to partner with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. They led us on this amazing mission into the mountains of Rwanda. We were embedded right there with this family of gorillas, and we managed to capture the interpersonal interactions within the family,” Findley told blooloop.

Today, Immotion’s VR theatres operate in over 125 locations across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, including leading institutions like the Shedd Aquarium, Chester Zoo, and Oceanogràfic València. The company is also expanding into science museums and centres, continuing its tradition of combining mission-focused storytelling with educational initiatives.

“What we do is build on the conservation and education work the institutions do, by giving the guests a completely different and unique view into the world of these animals. We create experiences that highlight animals that visitors aren’t going to find in zoos and aquariums.

"You’re not going to see a humpback whale or a manta ray, for example, or mountain gorillas,” Findley said.

One person who nominated Rod Findley said: “His visionary leadership has been instrumental in developing cutting-edge VR experiences that not only align with the educational and conservation missions of these spaces but also introduce an entirely new dimension to visitor engagement.”