Andrew Wexler joined Herschend Enterprises as chief financial officer, in 2007. Then, in 2015, after serving for eight years in this crucial position, he was appointed to the role of chief executive officer. As CEO, Wexler’s two main priorities are business expansion and culture development. Wexler was recognised as one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs in 2019 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Wexler worked for Arthur Anderson, McKinsey & Company, and Martin Capital before joining Herschend. At Derivion Corp., the first e-billing application service provider (ASP) to use the Internet’s potential to automate bill delivery, he served as CFO and co-founder.
Wexler earned an MBA as a Baker Scholar at the Harvard Business School, as well as a BBA and Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia. In his spare time, Andrew likes serving the industry in a variety of volunteer capacities, such as serving as a member of the CEO Roundtable of the US Travel Association and the Travel and Tourism Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Launched in 1960, Herschend Enterprises dates back to 1960 and is a family of companies with a focus on family entertainment. Its companies include Herschend Family Entertainment, which operates Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Silver Dollar City, Adventure Aquarium, Newport Aquarium, Kentucky Kingdom, and Wild Adventures.
In 2022, Herschend Enterprises announced that it will cover 100 percent of tuition, fees and books for its 11,000 employees who want to pursue further education. The investment in employee education is being made through Herschend’s GROW U and is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees across the company’s US attractions.
“Herschend’s GROW U is not only a significant and transformational investment in our employee’s growth but also our love culture in action,” said Wexler. “Herschend is rooted in love – it’s evident at every Herschend property, every day – in the way we treat and support each other, how we create memories worth repeating for guests, and most importantly, how we care for our employees.”