Vail Resorts, parent company to Whistler Blackcomb (WB), announced several changes to its top executive branch on Aug. 10, while also relocating some local jobs to its headquarters in Broomfield, Colo.
Current Vail Resorts chief marketing officer Kirsten Lynch will take on the role of chief executive officer (CEO), as current CEO Rob Katz will be appointed executive chairperson of the board.
Katz will “remain fully active and engaged in Vail Resorts’ key strategic decisions and priorities,” according to a release.
Current VP of marketing and lift revenue Ryan Bennett will be named new CMO.
"Over her 10 years with the company, Kirsten has been responsible for the transformation and success of Vail Resorts' data-driven marketing efforts and a primary driver of the company's growth, stability and value creation," Katz said in the release.
"In addition to having an incredible business acumen, Kirsten is one of the most passionate, driven leaders I have ever worked with. Her tremendous enthusiasm for the long-term vitality of our sport and a very high commitment to leadership development within our company will make her an outstanding leader of Vail Resorts. Kirsten will also be surrounded by an extremely strong and tenured executive team."
Meanwhile, a number of local positions in Whistler are being relocated to the U.S.—though WB would not provide details about how many local jobs are affected, or in which departments.
“The recent changes move certain oversight roles to our corporate headquarters so that Whistler Blackcomb can continue to harness the best practices, insights and value of our full portfolio of world-class resorts,” said senior manager of communications and resort marketing Jennifer Smith, in an email.
“We have been intentional to ensure that there are dedicated teams located in-resort to support the needs of Whistler Blackcomb. It’s also very important to note that, substantially, all of our resort leadership roles will always remain in Whistler.”
The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated the value of the Vail Resorts network, Smith added.
“The connected and collaborative best-in-class approach not only offers a competitive advantage for Whistler Blackcomb, we also believe it is critical to the community’s long-term success and stability,” she said.
The pandemic and its related travel restrictions have led to immense frustration for some Whistler Blackcomb passholders, who have voiced their disdain for Vail Resorts’ customer service (as it relates to pass refunds) en masse in Pique’s letters to the editor section in recent months.
“While no one could have foreseen all situations, we worked earnestly to do our best for our guests,” Smith said.
“Our dedicated team set up to administer Epic Coverage, and worked diligently to ensure that every submitted refund request was evaluated per the Terms and Conditions of Epic Coverage. We thank our guests for their patience and understanding. All passholders who met the qualifications for a refund, including for resort closure or a personal event, have now been contacted.”
In March, Vail Resorts announced a 20-per-cent reduction in pass product prices for the 2021/22 season.
The first deadline to secure the best value is Labour Day on Sept. 6.
The Epic Pass—which comes with unlimited access to WB, Vail, Park City, and more—will be priced at $1,018, down from $1,273 last year. The Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited Pass will be $1,119, down from $1,399.
Edge Cards, meanwhile, will start at $175 for a two-day card, down from $219, $367 for a five-day Edge Card, down from $459, and $631 for a 10-day Edge Card, a decrease from $789.
The Epic Day Pass will come in at $109.58 for a one-day pass or $93.20 a day for a seven-day pass.
Find more info at epicpass.com.
“As it relates to next season, all passes will come with Epic Coverage included at no additional cost—which is designed to provide refunds for personal situations such as job loss, injury and illness—as well as refunds for certain resort closures, including those due to COVID-19,” Smith said.
“Epic Coverage is not a refund-for-any-reason program, given the significant savings that our passes provide as compared to lift tickets, which are fully refundable.”
Vail Resorts is also committed to a multi-year guest service transformation, Smith added.
“Our goal is to ensure guests have the information they need, when they need it,” she said.
“Over the last several months, we overhauled the technical systems behind our guest service operations and are in the process of dramatically scaling the number of representatives available to provide support.”
