Andrew Wirth

Last updated

Andrew Wirth
Awirth.jpeg
Born (1963-07-25) 25 July 1963 (age 62)
Neubrücke, West Germany
Education Bachelor of Science
Alma mater Colorado State University
Occupation CEO

Andrew "Andy" Wirth (born 25 July 1963) is an American businessman in the mountain resort and hotel industry. [1] [2] He was most recently the president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, the parent company of Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows ski resorts in Olympic Valley, CA until 2018. [3] [4]

Contents

He has previously worked for Steamboat Springs Resort [4] and Intrawest. [5] In 2010, he became President and CEO of Palisades Tahoe. [4] In October 2013, Wirth's right arm was torn off and surgically reattached, as a result of a skydiving accident in Lodi, California. [6] [7] Steamboat Today chronicled his accident and recovery and his connection with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. [8] [9]

In 2020, Wirth worked as chief executive on NEOM, a megaproject by the authoritarian government in Saudi Arabia. [10] NEOM has been the subject of a number of controversies including Saudi ruler bin Salman's implication in the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, and the 2020 attempt to evict the Howeitat Tribe from their historic homeland to make way for the development of Neom. [11] Wirth resigned in 2022 over disagreements with NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr. [10]

Early life and education

Andy Wirth was born in Neubrucke, West Germany on 25 July 1963.

Wirth has a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University and attended Edinburgh University in Scotland. [12]

Early career

Wirth's early career was with Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation (starting in 1986). In 2007, he was promoted into the parent company Intrawest, which completed acquisition of Steamboat in 2006 for $265 million, and he was named the chief marketing officer and executive vice president of sales and marketing. At Intrawest, Wirth managed domestic and global marketing strategy, overseeing Intrawest's full portfolio of mountain and ski resorts

Palisades Tahoe (Squaw Valley)

In 2010, Wirth was appointed the President and CEO of Palisades Tahoe ski resort. [13] He replaced former CEO Nancy Cushing, who was exited from the position after 16 years as president and CEO. Until Wirth took over, Palisades Tahoe had always been under the direction of the Cushing family after the ski resort was founded by Wayne Poulsen in the 1940s and later owned by Nancy's late husband, Alex Cushing. [14] Under Wirth's direction as CEO, the company underwent a $70 million upgrade. [15]

In September 2011, it was announced that Alpine Meadows Ski Resort and nearby Palisades Tahoe would merge to offer a combined ticket pass to customers. [16] Wirth led the acquisition of Alpine Meadows and was the President and CEO of both resorts. [17]

Wirth is featured on the 8 March 2013 episode of Undercover Boss , where he goes undercover at his Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows ski resorts. [18]

In 2017, Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, KSL Capital Partners and the Henry Crown Company merged. The resulting holding company acquired Intrawest Resort Holdings and Mammoth Resorts. [19] [20] [21]

By 2018, Palisades Tahoe announced a plan to get electricity from carbon-free sources. The company started using renewable energy at two of its resorts, building a mountain-side storage facility for Tesla Inc. batteries. Wirth stated that Palisades Tahoe would be operated by 100% renewable-sourced energy by the end of the 2018 to reduce its carbon footprint. [22] [23] [24]

Andy Wirth announced his retirement from Palisades Tahoe on 14 April 2018. [25]

Personal life

He is the grandson of former US National Park Service Director Conrad Wirth and the great grandson of Theodore Wirth. [26]

In 2013, Wirth was featured in a Wall Street Journal article about his workout routine and trail running. He has competed in half-marathons and triathlons. [1]

In October 2013, Wirth's right arm was torn off and surgically reattached, as a result of a skydiving accident in Lodi, California. Due to changing wind conditions and other factors, Wirth, an experienced and licensed skydiver, along with other skydivers, were not able to make it to the designated landing area. Wirth landed on steel posts and wires in a vineyard outside the landing area. [6] [7] Wirth was able to slow bleeding of his brachial artery until he was airlifted to the University of California, Davis trauma center, where his arm was reattached. Additional surgeries were performed at the Buncke Clinic at the California Pacific Medical Center. [9] Wirth returned to work after 50 days in the hospital and over 23 surgeries on his right arm. [8]

Wirth was the Fall 2014 commencement speaker at the graduation ceremony for Colorado State University's Warner College of Natural Resources. [27] In January 2016, Wirth was named the Chairman and President of Reno-Tahoe Regional Air Service Corporation. [28] He is also a former board of directors member at Capital Public Radio, an NPR affiliate in the Sacramento area. [29]

Wirth is a recipient of multiple community service and professional awards. In 2012, Wirth was awarded the Chairman's Outstanding Service Award from the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Board of Trustees. Wirth was the recipient of the 2002 Steamboat Springs Business Leader of the Year Award. In 2009, he was also awarded a spot on the HSMAI Top 25 Minds in Hospitality and Travel Sales and Marketing list. [12] [30] [31] In 2014, he was recognized as Citizen of the Year by Disabled Sports USA [32] and received the Community Five Award. [33]

References

  1. 1 2 "Rather Than Hit the Road, He Hits the Trails". The Wall Street Journal.
  2. ↑ "Board of Directors". Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "Squaw Valley's CEO, Andy Wirth, Looks Forward to New Era". 7x7 Magazine. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Andy Wirth named CEO of Squaw Valley". Steamboat Today. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  5. ↑ "Intrawest names Andy Wirth Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer". Intrawest. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Squaw Valley CEO Andy Wirth Injures Arm in Skydiving Accident". CBS Sacramento. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Squaw Valley CEO recovering from near-death experience". NBC News4 Nevada. 20 May 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  8. 1 2 Tom Ross (14 January 2014). "Andy Wirth describes how music of Pearl Jam pulled him through near-fatal skydiving accident". Steamboat Today. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  9. 1 2 Melissa Siig. "Lucky to Be Alive, Squaw's Andy Wirth is Back at Work". Moonshine Ink. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Expatriate Executives Flee Saudi Arabia's Bad Bosses". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Saudi tribe challenges crown prince's plans for tech city". BBC News. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Andrew Wirth Announced as New Squaw Valley CEO". Transworld Business. 10 June 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "Tahoe Fund Board of Directors". Tahoe Fund. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  14. ↑ Frohlich, Robert. "Squaw's Fresh Leadership". Adventure Sports Journal. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Buxbury, Sarah (30 October 2010). "Squaw Valley CEO Andy Wirth on Alpine, upgrades and attitude". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  16. ↑ Renda, Matthew (21 June 2011). "Squaw Valley USA prepares for a $50 million 'Renaissance'". Sierra Sun. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  17. ↑ "Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley Join Forces". Ski Alpine. 30 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  18. ↑ "Season 4 Episode 11 - Sqauw Valley". CBS. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  19. ↑ Amanda Rhoades (9 August 2017). "Despite ski industry merger, few changes expected for upcoming season at Squaw Valley". Sierra Sun. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  20. ↑ Hugo Martin (31 July 2017). "Colorado partnership completes deal to buy Mammoth and Bear Mountain". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  21. ↑ Tom Ross (10 April 2017). "$1.5 billion deal rocks ski industry as Aspen skico, KSL Capital Partners buy Intrawest". Sierra Sun. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  22. ↑ "California ski resorts embrace renewable energy and hope skiers will love it". Los Angeles Times. 9 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "Squaw-Alpine working to use 100% renewable energy". Lake Tahoe News.
  24. ↑ "Squaw Valley Gets Tesla Batteries to Stabilize Tahoe Power Grid". Bloomberg (Technology). 5 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "Long-time Ski Resort Executive, Andy Wirth, Announces His Retirement".
  26. ↑ "Conversations with Hilary Andy Wirth". 7 February 2013.
  27. ↑ "Commencement Speakers – Colorado State University". Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  28. ↑ Announcements (11 January 2016). "SQUAW'S WIRTH NAMED CHAIR OF REGIONAL AIR SERVICE COMMITTEE". Sierra Sun. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  29. ↑ "Board of Directors". www.capradio.org. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  30. ↑ "HSMAI Announces The Top 25 Minds in Hospitality And Travel Sales And Marketing". HSMAI. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  31. ↑ "Airport Chair recognizes Andy Wirth with Outstanding Service Award - My News 4 - KRNV, Reno, NV". Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  32. ↑ "Disabled Sports USA Far West names Wirth Citizen of the Year". Tahoe Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  33. ↑ "Community Five Award 2014 Andy Wirth". The 5-1-1. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.