CEC Entertainment, Inc., Appoints Thomas Leverton as Chief Executive Officer

IRVING, Texas, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CEC Entertainment, Inc. ("CEC" or the "Company"), which operates 577 Chuck E. Cheese's stores, today announced that its Board of Directors appointed Thomas Leverton as chief executive officer (CEO), effective July 23, 2014. Mr. Leverton succeeds Michael H. Magusiak, who retired as president and CEO on June 2, 2014.

The Company's announcement follows an extensive search conducted by the Board of Directors, in partnership with an executive search firm, to identify a new CEO, which included a review of internal and external candidates.

Tom has had a long career in multisite businesses. He recently served as CEO of Topgolf, an emerging global leader in golf entertainment, serving more than 2.7 million guests annually. During his time at Topgolf, Tom increased unit count by more than 60 percent, managed the launch of a new menu and built a pipeline of new Topgolf locations, laying the foundation for growth. Before Topgolf, Tom served as CEO at Omniflight, an air medical operator with 75 locations across the country. Earlier in his career, he held executive roles at FedEx Office, including executive vice president and chief development officer, and he opened 500 FedEx stores in less than two years. Tom also served as chief operating officer of TXU Energy, a market-leading competitive retail electric provider. He began his career at Johnson & Johnson and Bain & Company.

"I am thrilled to welcome Tom to the CEC team," said Lance Milken, chairman of CEC Entertainment and partner at Apollo Global Management. "Tom is a proven executive, and his unique combination of marketing, operating and leadership skills make him the ideal candidate to lead CEC into its next phase of growth. I am confident that, with Tom's experience in the entertainment and restaurant industries, demonstrated success growing businesses, and strong track record as a seasoned leader, we are poised to offer an unparalleled customer experience by further elevating the Chuck E. Cheese's brand. I look forward to working with Tom and leveraging his significant expertise to drive future growth at CEC."

Mr. Leverton stated, "I am excited to join the CEC team. Chuck E. Cheese's is a national leader in family dining and entertainment, recognized for its high-quality, fun and safe family entertainment. With Chuck E. Cheese's established brand, dedicated employees and strategic partnerships, the Company is well positioned to expand and provide an even greater customer experience. I look forward to being part of the Company's future success as we accelerate Chuck E. Cheese's growth nationally and globally."

About CEC Entertainment, Inc.
For more than 35 years, CEC Entertainment has served as the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment and the place Where A Kid Can Be A Kid^®. The award-winning number-one kid-friendly restaurant for millions of families across the world, the Company and its franchisees operate a system of more than 575 stores located in 47 states and 10 foreign countries or territories. Chuck E. Cheese's goal is to create positive, lifelong memories for families through fun, food and play inside and outside of its stores. Each Chuck E. Cheese's features musical entertainment, games, rides and play areas for kids of all ages, as well as a variety of freshly prepared dining options. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheese's helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check^®.

As a strong advocate for its local communities and childhood education, Chuck E. Cheese's has donated more than $10 million to schools through fundraising programs and is a proud sponsor of like-minded organizations such as PBS KIDS. For more information, visit www.chuckecheese.com or connect with Chuck E. on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Foursquare.

SOURCE CEC Entertainment, Inc.