Ardent Leisure chief executive Deborah Thomas is to step down from her position and take up a new role within the company in order to oversee its troubled theme park division.

Ardent continues to suffer in the wake of a fatal accident at its Dreamworld theme park on Australia’s Gold Coast last year, announcing predicted losses of up to AU$4m (US$3m, €2.7m, £2.3m) for the year’s end on 30 June.

Taking up the position of chief customer officer and chief operating officer for Australasia on 1 July, Thomas will directly oversee the revitalisation of Dreamworld and Ardent’s other Australian businesses – WhiteWater World and AMF bowling centres.

According to Ardent, the change in leadership was initiated by Thomas, following a review of the company’s global growth strategy. Former Nine Entertainment Co chief operating officer and chief financial officer Simon Kelly will replace her as CEO.

Ardent also operates 30 Main Event FECs in the US, with plans to open another eight in the next financial year as part of a significant investment in the US market. It sold off its health club arm in a AU$260m (US$191.2m, €175.2m, £147.7m) deal last year, with the company becoming a “pure-play entertainment firm”. Its Main Event FECs generate more than 60 per cent of its earnings.

According to Ardent, combined visitor numbers at its parks for March and April were down 36.7 per cent, and revenue was 38.9 per cent lower at AU$9.6m (US$7m, €6.5m, £5.5m) for the period. In addition to continued fallout from the Dreamworld accident, the drop was partly reflected by heavy rainfall and Cyclone Debbie in March, which led to tourist cancellations in April.

The accident – which saw four people killed when two rafts on the park’s thunder River Rapids ride collided – has had a ripple effect on Australia’s parks, with with Warner Bros Movie World, Sea World and Wet ‘n’ Wild all reporting significant drops in attendance and revenues in decline.