Activist investor Jana Partners has formally asked the board of Six Flags Entertainment to pursue sale options for the theme park operator and to immediately name a new chair, according to a letter sent to the company. The firm framed its request around concerns about the board’s capacity to produce results for shareholders and urged engagement with parties that have shown buyer interest.
The appeal for change follows a period of executive turnover and high-profile marketing moves at Six Flags. The company hired a new chief executive several months ago and, less than a week prior to the letter, announced National Football League star Travis Kelce as a brand ambassador.
In the letter, Jana highlighted what it sees as shortcomings in board performance and governance. The firm quoted concerns that the board has not demonstrated an ability to “deliver” for shareholders and explicitly recommended that the company take steps to explore a sale. "It is now in the best interest of shareholders for the company to reverse course and engage with known buyer interest in Six Flags," Jana Managing Partner Scott Ostfeld wrote.
Jana also requested immediate changes to board leadership. Marilyn Spiegel, who was named chair in January and has served as a director since 2023, was specifically noted as the current chair whose replacement Jana believes is necessary to restore effective oversight.
The company did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Jana publicly disclosed its position in Six Flags in October, revealing roughly a 9% economic stake in the operator. At that time the hedge fund said it wanted to see operational improvements, a revitalized marketing approach and enhancements to the park guest experience. Jana suggested the company could be an attractive acquisition target, and investor reaction at the time lifted the stock by nearly 20%.
Prior to Jana’s disclosed stake, shares in the regional amusement park operator had fallen about 50% year-to-date, a decline the firm linked to rainy weather that kept visitors away and weakened financial returns. After the initial October lift, the stock has since faced renewed pressure following an earnings shortfall and lingering concerns about business performance, leaving the company with a market capitalization of $1.7 billion. The stock closed at $16.39 on Monday.
While Jana has publicly voiced support for Six Flags’ new chief executive, John Reilly, the letter emphasized that the hedge fund’s private engagement with the company over recent months raised significant doubts about the effectiveness of the current board. "We have witnessed an alarming pattern of board dysfunction and disjointed decision-making that has become impossible to ignore," the letter said.
Jana outlined what it described as a string of governance missteps. The letter criticized the board for delaying the public announcement of Reilly’s appointment in November for several days during a period the firm characterized as a crisis of confidence. It also pointed to the board’s decision in September to reaffirm financial guidance to reassure investors, only to sharply reduce that guidance a few weeks later.
Company commentary on performance has acknowledged challenges. In February, Reilly said that while results for 2025 had come in short of expectations, "the work completed over the past year has strengthened the foundation of our enterprise." He listed initiatives the company had pursued, including improvements to park infrastructure, the addition of new attractions, technology upgrades and enhancements to food and beverage offerings, and said those efforts would restore profitable, sustainable growth.
Jana is not the only activist pushing for changes at Six Flags. In October, shortly before Jana made its position public, the company added an executive from Sachem Head Capital Management, an activist hedge fund that disclosed about a 5% stake, to its board.
The situation at Six Flags highlights intersecting issues of corporate governance, operational performance and market perception. Jana’s letter frames a clear set of remedies - engagement with potential buyers and a new board chair - while continuing to back the chief executive’s operational agenda. How the board responds to the call for a sale process and leadership change will determine the next phase of investor and market reaction.