Industry News
Denver, CO, May 25, 2022 — Today, Alterra Mountain Company announced that Jared Smith, the company’s President, will be promoted to Chief Executive Officer, effective August 1, 2022. At that time, Rusty Gregory, the company’s current Chief Executive Officer, will step back from day-to-day operations to become Vice Chairman of the Board.
Smith joined Alterra Mountain Company in June of 2021, tasked with operating and further developing the company’s Resort Division. Over the last year, he has focused on identifying opportunities for growth and efficiency of the operations as well as developing plans to better utilize data and technology to advance the guest experience. Smith joined Alterra Mountain Company after more than 15 years at Live Nation Entertainment where he served as President and Global Chairman of Ticketmaster. While overseeing the world’s largest ticket marketplace and the global market leader in live event technology and services, he led the company through a reinvention of its approach to client, artist, and fan engagement and transformed its sales, support, product, and technology organizations. Smith will continue to be based out of Alterra Mountain Company’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado.
“Jared has contributed a great deal to the success of the Resort Division in his time as President. He has refined our strategies, successfully motivated his people and, along with his teams, produced extraordinary results in his first year with the company,” said Rusty Gregory. “He is a natural leader, an experienced executive with the drive required to turn our ambitious vision for the future into action.”
“It’s an incredible opportunity to lead Alterra Mountain Company and continue to build on the impressive foundation that has been established by Rusty Gregory, our ownership group, and the thousands of employees who operate our business at a high level every day,” said Jared Smith, President, Alterra Mountain Company. “Over the last year, I’ve watched our exceptional team thrive and I am incredibly excited to continue that momentum as we look to our future.”
Rusty Gregory’s career in the ski industry began in lift operations at California’s Mammoth Mountain where he would rise to become an owner of the company and its Chairman and CEO. As one of the original investors in Alterra Mountain Company when it was formed in 2017, he was appointed to the Board that same year and named Chief Executive Officer in 2018. He has been instrumental in establishing the company’s culture, the acquisition of additional mountain resorts, developing the operating strategies of all 15 Alterra Mountain Company resorts across North America and introducing the Ikon Pass. As Vice-Chairman, Rusty will act as Senior Strategic Advisor and continue to be a Director and shareholder of Alterra Mountain Company.
“I’m very proud of the team we’ve built and the work we’ve done together over the past five years to establish and grow Alterra Mountain Company into a successful enterprise that is having a positive impact on the ski industry I’ve loved being part of for over 40 years,” said Gregory. “One of my most important responsibilities as CEO has been to recruit and prepare a successor to run the company once I step down. I am confident that Jared is the right person at exactly the right time to lead the company and our teams in the pursuit of innovation and growth opportunities that lay ahead.”
Totally agree! Most of them don’t even ski.
Dave Mcoy the original builder and owner of Mammoth lost controlling interest of the Company in the late 1980s to Rusty. Rusty’s first act as controlling shares owner, was firing over 500 longtime year-round employees and then rehire them as seasonal workers, thus reducing their pay and losing all their benefits. He was not well liked by staff. Instead of a friendly, family operation, Mammoth became a very corporate, uncaring and cold institution overnight. It’s never been the same.
I was there, I remember.
Booooo, these are the types of people that ruin everything in their mad dash for more cash.
There’s never enough $$.