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Alterra
Mountain Company Appoints
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Rusty
Gregory as Chief Executive Officer
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Highly Regarded Ski Industry Veteran
Takes the
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Helm of New Destination Group
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Denver,
CO – February 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / Alterra
Mountain Company announces the appointment of Rusty Gregory as Chief
Executive Officer. Mr. Gregory is an investor in the company and has been
a member of the Board of Directors since the company’s inception in August
2017. Mr. Gregory is an experienced travel industry executive and proven
mountain resort innovator. His career in the ski industry spans 40 years
starting as a lift operator at Mammoth Mountain in California where he
rose through the ranks to become an owner and the company’s Chairman and
CEO for over 20 years.
Mr.
Gregory will focus on establishing the newly-formed Alterra Mountain Company’s
culture and developing the growth, operating and guest service strategies
for its platform of mountain destinations across North America, while leading
its more than 20,000 employees.
“I’m
thrilled to be leading the Alterra Mountain Company team in its formative
years at such a pivotal time in the mountain destination industry. This
is truly the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with so many highly respected
industry leaders and some of the most iconic mountain destinations in North
America,” said Rusty Gregory, Chief Executive Officer of Alterra Mountain
Company. “Together we will create a high performing enterprise by focusing
on what’s important - our guests, our employees, and our mountain communities.
We will build our business by enhancing and enriching the lives and experiences
of each.”
“Since
the formation of Alterra Mountain Company, Rusty has served as a Senior
Strategic Advisor and has been instrumental in creating its vision and
direction. He has played a crucial role in the creation and collaboration
of the Ikon Pass,” said Eric Resnick,
Chief Executive Officer of KSL Capital Partners. “He is a clear leader
in the industry and a natural fit to lead Alterra Mountain Company into
the future as well as execute on our promise to innovate while enhancing
the unique nature of each of our destinations.”
Last
month, Alterra Mountain Company launched the Ikon Pass, a new pass product
for the 2018-2019 winter season that combines the company’s 12 destinations
with 11 partners from six industry leaders - Aspen Skiing Company, Alta
Ski Area, Boyne Resorts, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, POWDR, and Snowbird.
“With
the Ikon Pass, we have created an unrivaled platform that offers one-of-a-kind
mountain experiences under one pass, by combining our portfolio of 12 destinations
with 11 iconic mountain destination partners across North America,” Gregory
continued.
Mr.
Gregory has experience in all facets of the ski industry and resort business,
including time spent as a lift operator, equipment operator, lift maintenance
and construction supervisor, ski instructor, heli-ski guide, Director of
Human Resources and Chief Administrative Officer. He founded and operated
Mammoth Heli-Ski in the 1980s, Mammoth Land and Development Company in
the 1990s, and became an owner of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in 1996. He
engineered three sales of the company, increasing his ownership stake with
each transaction. Sixty percent of Mammoth Mountain was sold to Intrawest
in 1996, and the entire enterprise was sold to Barry Sternlicht’s Starwood
Capital Group LLC and co-investors David Bonderman of TPG and Jonathan
Nelson of Providence Equity in 2005.
In
September 2014, Mr. Gregory led the acquisition of Southern California’s
largest and most popular ski and snowboard destination, Big Bear Mountain
Resort, and created Mammoth Resorts, bringing Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain,
Bear Mountain and Snow Summit under one umbrella. He then led the July
2017 sale of Mammoth Resorts to Alterra Mountain Company.
Mr.
Gregory is past Chairman of the National Ski Areas Association, Trustee
of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, and Trustee and past Vice
Chairman of the Yosemite Conservancy. He was appointed by Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger as Commissioner of the California Travel and Tourism Commission
where he served as CFO and Vice Chairman. He is also the Founder and Chairman
of the University of California Santa Barbara’s Valentine Reserve Environmental
Research Fund.
“We
are happy to welcome Rusty to the helm of Alterra Mountain Company and
look forward to our continued collaboration,” said Bill Crown, Alterra
Mountain Company Board Member and Partner of Henry Crown and Company. “We
thank Bryan Traficanti for his service and leadership as Interim Chief
Executive Officer and are pleased to have his continued guidance as a Board
Member.”
Gregory
will be based out of Alterra Mountain Company’s headquarters in Denver,
Co. Bryan Traficanti, interim CEO, will return to KSL Capital Partners,
LLC as Head of Asset Management and remain a board member of Alterra Mountain
Company.
About
Alterra Mountain Company
Alterra
Mountain Company is a family of 12 iconic year-round destinations, including
the world’s largest heli-ski operation, offering the Ikon Pass, the new
standard in season passes. The company owns and operates a range of recreation,
hospitality, real-estate development, food and beverage and retail businesses.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado with destinations across the continent,
we are rooted in the spirit of the mountains and united by a passion for
outdoor adventure. Alterra Mountain Company’s family of diverse playgrounds
spans five U.S. states and three Canadian provinces: Steamboat and Winter
Park Resort in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain,
June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton in Vermont;
Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario;
Deer Valley in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British
Columbia. We honor each destination’s unique character and authenticity
and celebrate the legendary adventures and enduring memories they bring
to everyone. Alterra Mountain Company also owns Honua Kai Resort and Spa
in Hawaii. For more information, visit www.alterramtnco.com.
About
Ikon Pass
The
Ikon Pass is the new standard in season passes, connecting the most iconic
mountains in North America and delivering authentic, memorable snow adventures.
Brought to you by Alterra Mountain Company, the Ikon Pass unlocks access
to a community of diverse destinations you want to ski and ride, including
Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain and Eldora
in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain
and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
in Wyoming; Big Sky in Montana; Stratton and Killington in Vermont; Snowshoe
in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec and Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada;
Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine; Loon Mountain in New Hampshire; and
Deer Valley Resort, Alta and Snowbird in Utah. Special offers will also
be available at CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, the world’s largest
heli-skiing operation. For more information on the Ikon Pass, visit www.ikonpass.com.
About
KSL Capital Partners, LLC
KSL
Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and
leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs,
real estate, and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado;
Stamford, Connecticut; and London. Since 2005, KSL has raised approximately
$8.2 billion of capital across both debt and equity funds. KSL’s current
portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure.
For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.
About
Henry Crown and Company
Henry
Crown and Company, through a newly formed affiliate, is a minority investor
in the new joint venture Alterra Mountain Company. Henry Crown and Company
dates back to the early 1900s when Henry Crown and his brothers started
Material Service Corporation, which was later merged into General Dynamics.
Today, the Crown’s family assets fall into four broadly defined categories,
including publicly traded securities, real estate, investment funds, and
privately held operating companies, including Aspen Skiing Company, L.L.C.
Aspen Skiing Company owns and operates the four mountains of Aspen Snowmass
– Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk – as well as
hospitality properties The Little Nell, Residences at The Little Nell,
Limelight Aspen, and Limelight Ketchum in Ketchum, Idaho. In addition,
Aspen Skiing Company owns and operates numerous retail and rental locations
through the resort and the Roaring Fork Valley. Aspen Skiing Company, LLC
is one of the Henry Crown and Company entities which owns Alterra Mountain
Company. Aspen’s mountains and properties will continue to be run directly
by Aspen Skiing Company and not by Alterra Mountain Company. For more information,
visit www.aspensnowmass.com.
Contacts:
The
Ashima Group
Amelie
Bruzat
347-653-9544
Kristin
Rust
Director
Public Relations
Alterra
Mountain Company
303-801-7271 |