Six Flags has announced the retirement of its president and CEO John Duffey just 17 months after he took up the position.

Effective immediately, Six Flags executive chair Jim Reid-Anderson will take up the position of president and CEO, a role he held between 2010 and 2016 prior to Duffey’s appointment.

Previously under Reid-Anderson’s leadership, Six Flags achieved record guest and employee satisfaction ratings, also making significant operations improvements, according to Six Flags.

“Six Flags is the leading regional theme park company in an extremely attractive industry, and we have significant global growth opportunities in the short, medium and long term," said Reid-Anderson.

“I am very proud and excited to rejoin the operating team and look forward to executing our business strategy. We have had seven record years in a row and I believe that the best is yet to come. I do want to wish John all the very best for the future and to thank him for his major contributions during his excellent tenure with the company, including his time as president and CEO."

Speaking to Attractions Management, Sandra Daniels, vice president of corporate communications for Six Flags said that Duffey's decision to leave the company was due to personal reasons.

"Once John made his decision, the board moved quickly and asked Jim if he would lead the company again," she said. "We are fortunate to have Jim leading our team – he is a world-class CEO – and our board and employees are excited to have him back leading the company."