Virgin Galactic has announced that former Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde has joined the team as an Experience Architect.
What’s Happening:
- Virgin Galactic has announced Joe Rohde, former Disney Imagineer, as a new Experience Architect for the company.
- Rohde will work as a strategic advisor helping design and guide the overall experience journey for astronauts and enthusiasts.
- Rohde has spent more than 40 years at Walt Disney Imagineering, starting when he was 25, and has contributed to many different projects around the world, including but not limited to Pleasure Island, Captain EO, EPCOT’s World Showcase, and most notably was the creative head of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, spearheading the entire park’s design.
- He will be joining the CEO, former President and Managing Director of Disney Parks International, Michael Colglazier, at the company. Colglazier had left Disney last year to join Virgin Galactic.
- Colglazier was also President of the Disneyland Resort during the 60th Anniversary celebration and the start of construction on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
What They’re Saying:
- Joe Rohde, Experience Architect: “This is one of the most profound things that can happen to you. To go beyond the reaches of the earth, to space, and look back down at it. It’s a spectacularly unique opportunity with huge potential for transformational change in a person…What Virgin Galactic is doing, in democratizing space travel, has reached a moment where it is about to enter history. It’s happening right here in New Mexico, and it’s very rare to be a person who gets to be in the place, at the time, that history begins.’’
- Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic: “As soon as I joined Virgin Galactic, I knew there was one person we just had to work with to help shape the incredible experience we are developing – and that person was Joe Rohde. Joe has a methodology that is unique, inspired, and truly effective. His track record for keeping authenticity central to the design and creating deeply transformative experiences aligns perfectly with our mission. I couldn’t be more pleased to see Joe choose Virgin Galactic for his first encore!’’