Industry News
Denver, Colorado, February 24, 2025—Alterra Mountain Company has announced key additions to its executive leadership team, with Diane Neville appointed Chief People Officer (CPO) and Will Forbes appointed President and Chief Operating Officer, Experiences Division.
“We are very excited to add these talented leaders to crucial roles within our growing company. They will each have a direct impact on our employees and guests. Diane and Will both bring years of experience in their fields and will greatly impact the continued success of Alterra Mountain Company,” said Jared Smith, President & CEO, Alterra Mountain Company.
As Chief People Officer, Diane Neville will be instrumental in shaping and executing the company’s people strategy, driving key initiatives to attract, develop, and retain top talent, as part of the company’s goal to cultivate an industry-leading employee experience.
- Related: Alterra Mountain Company Closes Acquisition of Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in British Columbia
With over 20 years of experience in human resources, Diane brings deep expertise to the hospitality and F&B industries. Most recently, she served as CPO at Shake Shack Enterprises, where she built a robust employee infrastructure and developed policies and practices to support the company’s growth across its 550+ global locations. Before that, Diane led national HR strategies and workforce development at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, McKesson Corporation, Fender Musical Instruments, and AON Corporation, focusing on recruitment, employee relations, HR technologies, leadership development, engagement, and compliance.
“I’m thrilled to join the team at Alterra Mountain Company and contribute to their ongoing efforts to provide the best employee experience in the industry. I look forward to bringing fresh, innovative ideas to further nurture the incredible culture that has been built at each of our destinations, as well as within the Denver team,” said Diane Neville, Chief People Officer, Alterra Mountain Company.
Will Forbes will oversee a division of the company dedicated to Alterra’s adventure hospitality operations, currently made up of Alterra’s two heli-skiing operations, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing (MWHS), both located in British Columbia, Canada. He will be responsible for creating an innovative vision and strategy for growing Alterra’s adventure travel portfolio while building new capabilities to be leveraged across both CMH and MWHS.
A lifelong snowboarder, Forbes hails from Toronto and has over 20 years of experience with global operations and strategy, with a deep focus on luxury travel with world-class brands including Four Seasons and Kensington Tours. Prior to that, he held a variety of strategy and marketing roles at leading consumer brands like Heineken and Molson Coors.
“Heli-skiing is a highly-specialized operation and Alterra is home to two of the premier outfits in the world with CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing. I very much look forward to working with this team of passionate professionals to continue to offer the best guest experiences possible, while building on the legacy of the operations to expand and evolve Alterra’s position in the adventure travel space,” said Will Forbes, President & Chief Operating Officer, Experiences Division.
