Bension Named to Head Sega GameWorks

Ron Bension, former head of Universal Studios’ theme park unit, was named president and chief executive of Sega GameWorks, a video game entertainment center venture between Universal, DreamWorks SKG and game company Sega Enterprises.

Bension replaces Michael Montgomery, who left the 4-year-old company to join Digital Coast Partners, a Santa Monica merchant bank for technology companies founded by his brother Jamie.

Bension was forced out of the job as head of Universal’s theme park division in 1996 after clashing with then-Universal executive Howard Weitzman. Bension said that since then he has been trying to buy recreation firms but found it difficult competing against large companies.

Bension will be reunited with Sega GameWorks Chairman Skip Paul, who was a top executive at MCA (which is now Universal Studios) when Bension ran the theme park division. He also will be working again with DreamWorks’ Steven Spielberg, who worked closely with Bension on theme park projects.