Completed
Ensysce Biosciences
First | 2019-02-04 | $2,383.20 | |
Merger | 2021-07-01 | $3,477.60 | 46% |
Merger +6mo | 2021-12-31 | $1,128.00 | 53% |
Merger +1yr | 2022-07-01 | $136.56 | 94% |
Recent | 2024-06-04 | $0.57 | 100% |
Leisure Acquisition Corp.
- Registration2017-11-03 Filed S1
- IPO2017-12-05 IPO, search begins
- Definitive Agreement2021-01-31 Agreement for merger
- Completed2021-06-30 Merger Completed
- Raised
- $200M
- CIK
- 1716947
- SPAC Ticker
- LACQ
- Merger
- Ensysce Biosciences
- Merged Ticker
- ENSC
- Focus
- Travel, Leisure, Gaming, Recreation
SPAC Team
Leadership
A. Lorne Weil has served as our Executive Chairman since our formation in September 2017 and has been a principal of Hydra Management, an investment vehicle formed by Mr. Weil, since September 2014. Mr. Weil serves as Executive Chairman of Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a position he has held since December 2016. Previously, Mr. Weil served as Chairman and CEO of Inspired’s predecessor, Hydra Industries Acquisition Corp., since October 2014. Mr. Weil previously served as Chairman of the Board of Scientific Games Corporation (and its predecessor Autotote Corporation) from October 1991 to November 2013. Mr. Weil also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Scientific Games Corporation (and its predecessor Autotote Corporation) from 1992 to 2008 and from November 2010 to November 2013 (Mr. Weil had retired in 2008) and as the President from August 1997 to June 2005. Under Mr. Weil’s stewardship, the company made a number of significant acquisitions and joint ventures, including the privatization of the off-track betting operations of the State of Connecticut, and the acquisitions of Scientific Games Holdings Corp., IGT Online Entertainment Systems, Global Draw and WMS Industries, and the privatization of the Illinois, New Jersey and Italian lotteries. Prior to joining Scientific Games, Mr. Weil was President of Lorne Weil, Inc., a firm he founded which provided strategic planning and corporate development services to technology-based industries, a role he maintained from 1979 to November 1992. From 1974 to 1979, Mr. Weil was Vice President — Corporate Development at General Instrument Corporation. From 1970 to 1974, Mr. Weil was a manager with the Boston Consulting Group. Mr. Weil received his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto, an M.S. degree from the London School of Economics and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, where he served for more than 10 years on the Board of Overseers. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Weil was a director of Avantair Inc. In 2012, Mr. Weil was the sponsor and Chairman of the Board of Andina Acquisition Corp., a NASDAQ-listed blank check company. Mr. Weil is currently the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of the successor entity, Tecnoglass Inc.
We believe Mr. Weil is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his extensive business experience in strategic planning and corporate development, his experience successfully overseeing the IPO of Hydra Industries Acquisition Corp. and its subsequent merger with Inspired Gaming Group, the IPO of Andina and its subsequent merger with Tecnoglass, the contacts he has fostered over the course of his extensive career, as well as his vast operational experience.
Daniel B. Silvers has served as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Company since our formation in September 2017. Additionally, he has served as Managing Member of Matthews Lane Capital Partners LLC, an investment firm, since June 2015 and also has served as Chief Strategy Officer of Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a company involved in the gaming equipment supplier industry, since December 2016. He is the former President of SpringOwl Asset Management LLC, an investment management firm, a position he held from March 2009 to June 2015 (including predecessor entities). From April 2009 to October 2010, Mr. Silvers also served as President of Western Liberty Bancorp, an acquisition oriented holding company that acquired and recapitalized a community bank in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Silvers joined a predecessor of SpringOwl from Fortress Investment Group, a leading global alternative asset manager, where he worked from 2005 to 2009. At Fortress, Mr. Silvers’ primary focus was to originate and oversee due diligence on and asset management for real estate and gaming investments in Fortress’ Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund. Prior to joining Fortress, Mr. Silvers was a senior member of the real estate, gaming and lodging investment banking group at Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. Mr. Silvers serves as lead independent director of PICO Holdings, Inc., a holding company with water resource operations. Mr. Silvers previously served on the board of directors of Forestar Group, Inc., International Game Technology, bwin.party digital entertainment plc, Universal Health Services, Inc., Ashford Hospitality Prime, Inc. and India Hospitality Corp. Mr. Silvers holds a B.S. in Economics, as well as an M.B.A with a concentration in Finance, from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
We believe Mr. Silvers is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his extensive experience in corporate finance, capital allocation, capital markets and public company governance.
George Peng has served as our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary since our formation in September 2017. Additionally, Mr. Peng has been a Principal of Hydra Management, LLC, an investment vehicle of Mr. Weil’s since July 2014 and as Vice President of Finance at Inspired Entertainment, Inc., since January 2017. Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer of Hydra Industries Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition corporation that acquired Inspired Entertainment, Inc., from August 2015 until January 2017. Before that, Mr. Peng was a consultant to Scientific Games Corporation from May 2013 to April 2014, where he assisted in its integration of the acquisition of WMS Industries. Mr. Peng was focused on the financial and operational impacts of integrating the accounting and finance functions of both companies, including human resource allocation, budgeting, and cost reductions. Prior to consulting to Scientific Games, Mr. Peng was a consultant primarily focused on financial planning and analysis for various industries, including retail and financial services. Previously, he was an Associate in the Investment Banking division of Credit Suisse, focusing on private equity, high yield, and leveraged lending products. Mr. Peng holds an A.B. in Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, as well as an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from the Anderson School at UCLA. Mr. Peng is a CFA Charterholder, which he was awarded in 2006.
Eric Carrera has served as our Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Development since September 2017. Additionally, Mr. Carrera has served as the Senior Associate of Hydra Management, LLC, an investment vehicle of Mr. Weil, since June 2015 and as Manager of Finance/M&A of Inspired Entertainment, Inc. since January 2017. Mr. Carrera has also served as Senior Vice President at Andina Acquisition Corp. II, a special-purpose acquisition corporation, since November 2015. From June 2011 to February 2015, Mr. Carrera was an international business development associate with Scientific Games Corporation, a supplier of technology-based products, systems and services to gaming markets worldwide. From September 2011 to December 2013, Mr. Carrera acted as an advisor to Andina Acquisition Corp. and was a member of the team that successfully completed a business transaction with Tecnoglass S.A., a Colombian manufacturer of glass and windows. Mr. Carrera received a B.S. from Boston University School of Management and is also a CFA Charterholder.
Marc J. Falcone will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Falcone served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Red Rock Resorts, Inc. from October 2015 until May 2017 and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Station Casinos LLC from June 2011 until May 2017. Mr. Falcone served as Treasurer of Station Casinos LLC since January 2013 until May 2017. Mr. Falcone also served as Chief Financial Officer of Fertitta Entertainment LLC from October 2010 through May 2016. From June 2008 to October 2010, Mr. Falcone worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. where he focused on restructuring transactions in the hospitality and gaming sectors under that firm’s Whitehall division. From May 2006 to June 2008, Mr. Falcone was a senior analyst at Magnetar Capital, LLC (an alternative asset management firm), covering the gaming, lodging, leisure, REIT and airline industries. From May 2002 to June 2006, Mr. Falcone was a Managing Director for Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. covering gaming, lodging and leisure companies and was recognized as one of the industry’s top analysts. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Mr. Falcone worked for Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., covering the gaming, lodging and leisure industries. Mr. Falcone holds a bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Finance and Hotel Administration from Cornell University.
We believe Mr. Falcone is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his significant experience as an executive officer at a public company in the leisure sector and investment experience with the leisure sector and leisure-related businesses.
Steven M. Rittvo will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Since February 2017, Mr. Rittvo serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Innovation Project Development, a multi-disciplinary development management services company focused on leisure- and residential-related developments. Mr. Rittvo has been with Innovation Project Development since November 2005. In May 1993, Mr. Rittvo co-founded The Innovation Group, Inc., a gaming, hospitality and leisure sector consulting firm headquartered in Denver with offices in New Orleans, Atlantic City, Aspen, Minneapolis and Orlando. Mr. Rittvo served as President of Innovation Group until February 2017. In Mr. Rittvo’s various roles with The Innovation Group, he advised and participated in gaming studies for clients ranging from Caesars Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Mandalay Resort Group, Isle of Capri, Harrah’s Entertainment, Trump Hotels and Casinos, as well as numerous Native American tribes and government agencies throughout the United States and the World. Mr. Rittvo holds a bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering and a master’s degree in Transportation Engineering and Planning from the Polytechnic Institute of New York.
We believe Mr. Rittvo is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his significant experience managing leisure-related developments and advising owners, operators and other stakeholders in the leisure sector and leisure-related businesses.
David L. Weinstein will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Weinstein is a partner at Belvedere Capital, a real estate investment firm based in New York, and is primarily focused on Belvedere' s investment in Industry City, a six million square foot redevelopment project in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Mr. Weinstein was previously a partner at Belvedere Capital from September 2008 until October 2013. From February 2015 until August 2016, Mr. Weinstein was a member of the board of directors of Forestar Group, Inc. Mr. Weinstein previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of MPG Office Trust, Inc., a publicly traded office REIT, from November 2010 until the sale of the Company in October 2013. He was a member of the board of directors of MPG Office Trust, Inc. from August 2008 until October 2013. From April 2007 until August 2008, Mr. Weinstein was a Managing Director of Westbridge Investment Group/Westmont Hospitality Group, a real estate investment fund focused on hospitality. From 1996 until January 2007, Mr. Weinstein worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York, first as a Vice President in the real estate investment banking group (focusing on mergers, asset sales and corporate finance) and then, from 2004, as a Vice President in the Special Situations Group (focused on real estate debt investments). Mr. Weinstein holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, magna cum laude, from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association.
We believe Mr. Weinstein is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his real estate banking, investment and management experience, including as a chief executive officer of a publicly traded real estate company, as well as his corporate governance experience through service as a board member of a public company will be valuable to the Company’s board of directors..