This morning we are seeing some news come out of Vail Resorts that as of November 1 Rob Katz will step down as CEO and move to a new position as Executive Chairman. Kirsten Lynch who is Vail Resorts’ current chief marketing officer, will be appointed chief executive officer and elected to the company’s board of directors.Rob Katz has been at the forefront of the Vail Resorts operations since taking on the position of CEO in 2006. With 15 years under his belt in the title role he was the leader and pioneer of taking Vail Resorts from being a single ski resort to the behemoth global operation that it is today.
Credit: Vail Resorts Vail Resort’s history runs rich and deep with Katz being there for many of the significant moves and changes. Back when Vail and Beaver Creek resorts were acquired by Leon Black’s Apollo Ski Partners in 1992, Katz was a young and attentive executive working within the company. During this acquisition Katz was assigned to the Vail account and this is where the relationship was really cemented. It’s noted that Katz was intimately involved in the companies purchases of Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly ski resorts along with the RockResorts lodging outfits.After a number of these large changes, it appeared like Vail Resorts was beginning to outgrow their home in Avon, CO and plans begun to swirl that they would move their headquarters over to Denver, CO. This was announced the same day that the company advised Katz would be moving into the CEO role.
Image Credit: Vail Resorts The largest and probably most ground-breaking change that has come out of Vail Resorts would be the introduction of the Epic Pass. This is likely to be the most well-known aspect of Vail resorts but riders all over the world. In 2008/09 season the Epic Pass was unveiled and for the first time riders could get onto many of the company owned resorts all across the United States without having to buy a lift ticket at each resort. Whether or not you wanted to ride Vail, Breckenridge or Keystone you could just turn up with your Epic Pass and get on the lifts.
Credit: Epic Pass Now in 2020/21 the Epic Pass has grown to offer global access and we even have multiple different types of passes to ensure everyone who wants to ride has options. Some of the world’s best Ski Resorts can be access on the Epic Pass and that includes riding on 5 different continents. Lynch joined Vail Resorts in 2011 as the chief marketing officer and throughout her time at the company has helped transform their product offering & mountain offering a well as being named Forbes CMO (chief marketing officer) of the year in 2019. Growing up in Chicago Lynch’s earliest ski memories are at Wilmot Mountain as a six-year-old. It’s as if her world has gone full circle as this small mountain is now owned by Vail Resorts. Lynch now resides in Boulder, CO with her husband and two children. “It is an honor to lead Vail Resorts as CEO and build upon Rob’s legacy of reimagining the mountain experience,” Lynch said.“I am passionate about this Company, the leadership culture we have built and our 55,000 employees who make Vail Resorts the industry leader. Looking forward, I am excited about the incredible growth opportunities for Vail Resorts and committed to making our sport and our Company more diverse, inclusive and accessible.Together, we will grow our business, innovate and continue to work toward our mission of creating an Experience of a Lifetime for our guests and employees.”With Lynch taking the reins right before the new season it’s going to be interesting to see if there are any major changes which appear, 2020 was certainly a challenging season for not only Vail Resorts but also the whole ski industry globally.
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
