Michael Herbert CBE, former chair and CEO of the UK-based Tussauds Group, died last week.

He joined Madame Tussauds Ltd as CEO in 1976 and was appointed chair following the company's acquisition by Pearson PLC in 1978.

He retired in 1994 by which time the company was known as Tussauds Group.

Herbert was also chair of a number of European cultural and tourism organisations and trustee of Historic Royal Palaces.

“As chair and chief executive, he was the first to expand the company into a group of quality attractions including Warwick Castle, Wookey Hole and Chessington Zoo,” said his successor at Tussauds, Michael Jolly.

“He commanded respect as a careful spender of capital and yet had the courage to boldly invest in new attractions, such as Rock Circus and Royalty and Empire at Windsor.

“It was Michael who saw the new emerging opportunity in theme parks and followed the conversion of Chessington into a World of Adventures, with the acquisition of the much larger Alton Towers.

“He was a very fair man, had a deep sense of history and quality and believed in supporting his management team.

“As his successor, it was Michael more than anyone who encouraged me to think internationally about Tussauds’ further expansion.”