AMC Entertainment Inc. will be getting new leadership.
The Leawood-based movie theater chain announced Tuesday morning that CEO Gerry Lopez will step down Aug. 6 to “pursue another opportunity.”
Lopez has led AMC since March 2009. At the time, AMC was privately owned and bought by Dalian Wanda Group Corp. in 2012. The Chinese company invested in AMC, and Lopez led the theater chain through revamping locations, including adding premium seating and more concessions.
Lopez says in a statement that he’s leaving AMC in a good place.
The company shares have risen 46 percent over the past year and 67 percent over the past five years. He also moved the company’s headquarters from downtown Kansas City to Leawood.
“I now plan to bring my passion for strategic refocus to another industry, where guest focus and strategic redeployment are equally important,” Lopez says.
The board appointed CFO Craig Ramsey as interim president and CEO. He has been with the company for more than 20 years and led AMC’s public offering in 2013.
“Gerry’s dynamic leadership and passion were catalysts driving in bout or revenue and operating earnings,” Ramsey says in a statement.
AMC is the country’s second-largest movie chain.