Andrew Wirth

Last updated

Andrew Wirth
Awirth.jpeg
Born (1963-07-25) 25 July 1963 (age 60)
Neubrücke, West Germany
Education Bachelor of Science
Alma mater Colorado State University
Occupation(s) CEO
Philanthropist

Andrew "Andy" Wirth (born 25 July 1963) is an American businessman and philanthropist who works 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] He is also the grandson of former US National Park Service Director Conrad Wirth and the great grandson of Theodore Wirth. [5]

Contents

Wirth has worked in the mountain resort and hotel industry for 25 years. [6] He began his career with Steamboat Springs Resort in 1986 and served several different marketing and leadership positions at the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation and its parent companies. [4] In 2007, Wirth was appointed the chief marketing officer and executive vice president of Intrawest, which acquired Steamboat in 2007. [7] In 2010, Wirth left Steamboat to serve as the President and CEO of Palisades Tahoe, taking over for former CEO Nancy Cushing. [4]

Wirth is a recipient of multiple community service and professional awards including the Chairman's Outstanding Service Award from the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Board of Trustees, Steamboat Springs Business Leader of the Year Award and made the HSMAI Top 25 Minds in Hospitality and Travel Sales and Marketing list. [8] [9] In 2014, he was recognized as Citizen of the Year by Disabled Sports USA [10] and received the Community Five Award. [11]

In October 2013, Wirth's right arm was torn off and surgically reattached, as a result of a skydiving accident in Lodi, California. [12] [13] Steamboat Today chronicled his accident and recovery and his connection with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. [14] [15]

Wirth was the Fall 2014 commencement speaker at the graduation ceremony for Colorado State University's Warner College of Natural Resources. [16] In January 2016, Wirth was named the Chairman and President of Reno-Tahoe Regional Air Service Corporation. [17] He is also a former board of directors member at Capital Public Radio, an NPR affiliate in the Sacramento area. [18]

In March 2020, Wirth joined NEOM, a giga project in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the CEO Mountain Region. [19] NEOM was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017. The project has been the subject of a number of controversies including 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. [20]

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. [8]

Wirth worked as a backcountry ranger for the Rocky Mountain National Parks and a wilderness ranger in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area. He was also a member of the Hot Shot Wild Land Fire Crew based out of Northern New Mexico. [6]

Early career

Wirth began as an intern with the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation in 1986. He worked at Steamboat for more than 20 years, serving in many different marketing positions within Steamboat and for ownership groups involved in the ski resort industry, while based out of Steamboat. 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

Wirth also led and founded the Mountain Village Partnership (MVP) in 2009, serving as president of the board of directors of the organization. MVP is a business and marketing promotion group supporting local businesses, and it is sponsored by Steamboat. [21]

Wirth was active in Steamboat Springs, serving as chairman of the board of directors for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, a 100-year-old organization responsible for the development of winter sports athletes and staging of winter competitive sporting events. Wirth also served as a volunteer fireman and then board member of the North Routt Fire Protection District.

In 2010, he helped direct Steamboat's Olympic send-off for the American Winter Olympic teams going to Vancouver. Wirth was also involved in two previous Olympic send-off celebrations in 2002 and 2006. [22]

Palisades Tahoe (Squaw Valley)

In the summer of August 2010, Wirth was appointed the President and CEO of Palisades Tahoe ski resort. [6] 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. [23]

Under Wirth's direction as CEO, the company underwent a $70 million upgrade. [24] Changes included vastly improved mountain design and infrastructure, renovations to culinary, base area facilities, lodging and common areas and were funded by KSL Capital Partners, which bought Palisades Tahoe in November 2010. Improvements have also included much-needed alterations to the customer experience. According to Wirth, "[Palisades Tahoe] moved from the bottom 20 percent of ski resorts into the top 20 percent over the year" for customer service satisfaction. [3]

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. [25] Wirth led the acquisition of Alpine Meadows and was the President and CEO of both resorts. [26]

Palisades Tahoe, north of Lake Tahoe in California, was home to the 1960 Winter Olympics and combined with Alpine Meadows offers over 6000 acres of skiable terrain for visitors. [27]

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. [28]

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. [29] [30] [31]

Andy Wirth announced his retirement from Palisades Tahoe on 14 April 2018. [32]

Renewable energy

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. [33] [34] [35]

Philanthropy

Wirth is a member of the Tahoe Fund "Founders Circle" and is a major supporter and contributor to environmental and community service organizations, including the Humane Society of Tahoe Truckee, The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation Community House, High Fives, The McConkey Foundation, Girls on the Run Sierra Chapter and the Truckee River Watershed Council. [27]

Over the course of his career, Wirth has served as a member or in a leadership role of several community organizations in Steamboat including:

Since arriving in the Lake Tahoe area in 2010 Wirth has served or is serving on the following Boards and community service organizations:

Current philanthropy work outside of the Lake Tahoe Area:

Awards

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. [8] [9] [40]

In 2014, he was recognized as Citizen of the Year by Disabled Sports USA [10] and received the Community Five Award. [41]

Personal life

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. [12] [13] 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. [15] Wirth returned to work after 50 days in the hospital and over 23 surgeries on his right arm. [14]

Wirth announced his retirement as President of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings in April 2018, stating that he would be spending time with his family and "focus on the active support of wounded warriors and environmental causes – advocacy and action." [42] [43]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reno, Nevada</span> City in Nevada, United States

Reno is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border, about 22 miles (35 km) north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, in the Truckee River valley, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. The Reno metro area occupies a valley colloquially known as the Truckee Meadows, it is the 81st most populous city in the United States, the 3rd most populous city in Nevada, and the most populous in Nevada outside the Las Vegas Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Tahoe</span> Lake in California and Nevada, United States

Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at 6,225 ft (1,897 m) above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America, and at 122,160,280 acre⋅ft (150.7 km3) it trails only the five Great Lakes as the largest by volume in the United States. Its depth is 1,645 ft (501 m), making it the second deepest in the United States after Crater Lake in Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Winter Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Squaw Valley, California, US

The 1960 Winter Olympics were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort in Squaw Valley, California, United States. The resort was chosen to host the Games at the 1956 meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Squaw Valley was an undeveloped resort in 1955, so the infrastructure and all of the venues were built between 1956 and 1960 at a cost of US$80,000,000. The layout was designed to be intimate, allowing spectators and competitors to reach most of the venues on foot.

Squaw Valley may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truckee River</span> River in Nevada and California, United States

The Truckee River is a river in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river flows northeasterly and is 121 miles (195 km) long. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great Basin. Its waters are an important source of irrigation along its valley and adjacent valleys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine Meadows, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Alpine Meadows is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California. The community is located on Bear Creek, a tributary of the Truckee River 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Tahoe City, at an elevation of 6,480 ft (1,980 m).

Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc was a developer and operator of destination resorts and a luxury adventure travel company. The company was founded in 1976 as a privately funded real estate development company. In 2006, Intrawest was purchased by Fortress Investment Group, a private equity investment company, which resulted in the company being delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. Fortress was under financial pressure related to the Intrawest debt, but a new loan with a single lender was completed in April 2010 and all prior lenders were repaid in full.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympic Valley, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Olympic Valley is an unincorporated community located in Placer County, California northwest of Tahoe City along California State Highway 89 on the banks of the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe. It is home to Palisades Tahoe, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Olympic Valley is the smallest resort area to host the Olympic Winter Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palisades Tahoe</span> Ski resort in Lake Tahoe, California

Palisades Tahoe is a ski resort in the western United States, located in Olympic Valley, California, northwest of Tahoe City in the Sierra Nevada range. From its founding in 1949, the resort was known as Squaw Valley, but it changed its name in 2021 due to the derogatory connotations of the word "squaw". It was the host site for the 1960 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra-at-Tahoe</span> Ski area in California, United States

Sierra-at-Tahoe is a ski and snowboard resort in Twin Bridges, California south of Lake Tahoe. Sierra-at-Tahoe is approximately 16 miles (26 km) south of Stateline, Nevada and 12 miles south of South Lake Tahoe on U.S. Route 50 and is contained within the Eldorado National Forest. Sierra-at-Tahoe is a medium-sized ski area in the Lake Tahoe region, and is well known for being a more family oriented resort and also having a high annual snowfall. Sierra-at-Tahoe's terrain is 25 percent beginner, 50 percent Intermediate, and 25 percent advanced.

Lake Tahoe Preparatory School is a college-prep boarding school in Olympic Valley, California,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Rose (Nevada)</span> Mountain in the United States

Mount Rose is the highest mountain in Washoe County, within the Carson Range of Nevada, United States. It ranks thirty-seventh among the most topographically prominent peaks in the state. It is also both the highest and most topographically prominent peak of the greater Sierra Nevada range within the state of Nevada, and the third most topographically prominent peak in the Sierra Nevada overall. It is located in the Mount Rose Wilderness of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. An extinct volcano, the mountain is in between Lake Tahoe and Reno. State Route 431 traverses Mount Rose Summit southeast of Mount Rose. Due to the high elevation, most of the precipitation that falls on the mountain is snow. The view from Mount Rose facing east is the Truckee Meadows, the second largest population center in Nevada.

Powdr Corporation, stylized as POWDR, is an American privately held company that owns and operates ski resorts in the United States and Canada. It is headquartered in Park City, Utah, and was founded in 1994 by John Cumming, an early investor in the clothing company Mountain Hardwear with his father Ian.

For the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, in the United States, a total of five sports venues were used. Except for the Palisades Tahoe, all of the venues had to be constructed. For the first time in Winter Olympic history, a temporary venue was constructed at McKinney Creek for biathlon, cross-country skiing, and Nordic combined. A bobsleigh track was not constructed over the guarantees from the FIBT not being able to field the minimum twelve teams needed to compete, making it the only time bobsleigh has not been included in the Winter Olympics.

White Wolf Mountain is a 460-acre (190 ha) private ski area located in the Lake Tahoe area of California. The property is named after a large white dog rescued from a cliff on the property.

Alpine Meadows is a ski resort in the western United States, located in Alpine Meadows, California. Near the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe, it offers 2,400 acres (9.7 km2) of skiable terrain, 13 different lifts, and a vertical drop of 1,802 feet (549 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 NCAA Skiing Championships</span> American college skiing competition

The 1962 NCAA Skiing Championships were contested at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California at the ninth annual NCAA-sanctioned ski tournament to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and ski jumping in the United States.

Alterra Mountain Company is an American hospitality company established in 2018 with headquarters in Denver, Colorado. It is privately owned by KSL Capital Partners and Henry Crown and Company, the owners of Aspen/Snowmass. It is a conglomerate of several ski resorts that offers a combined season pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Nevada University</span> Defunct University near Lake Tahoe in Nevada, U.S.

Sierra Nevada University (SNU) was a private university in Incline Village, Nevada, in the Sierras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WinterWonderGrass</span>

WinterWonderGrass is a multi-day bluegrass and roots music festival that takes place at a variety of ski resorts in the towns of Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Olympic Valley, California; and Manchester, Vermont. The festival incorporates multiple stages, day and evening performances, local and regional craft beer tastings, sustainable event production practices, and kids areas, with a portion of proceeds donated to local charitable organizations.

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. 1 2 "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. ↑ "Conversations with Hilary Andy Wirth". 7 February 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "Tahoe Fund Board of Directors". Tahoe Fund. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  7. ↑ "Intrawest names Andy Wirth Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer". Intrawest. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 "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.
  9. 1 2 "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.
  10. 1 2 "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.
  11. ↑ "Community Five Award 2014 Andy Wirth". The 5-1-1. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Squaw Valley CEO Andy Wirth Injures Arm in Skydiving Accident". CBS Sacramento. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. ↑ "Commencement Speakers – Colorado State University". Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  17. ↑ Announcements (11 January 2016). "SQUAW'S WIRTH NAMED CHAIR OF REGIONAL AIR SERVICE COMMITTEE". Sierra Sun. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "Board of Directors". www.capradio.org. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Linkedin".
  20. ↑ "Saudi tribe challenges crown prince's plans for tech city". BBC News. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  21. ↑ Lawrence, Mike (20 June 2010). "Mountain Village Partnership growing during construction". Steamboat Today. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  22. ↑ Russel, John (14 January 2010). "Olympic send-off planned for 5 Feb. in Steamboat". Steamboat Today. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  23. ↑ Frohlich, Robert. "Squaw's Fresh Leadership". Adventure Sports Journal. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  24. ↑ Buxbury, Sarah (30 October 2010). "Squaw Valley CEO Andy Wirth on Alpine, upgrades and attitude". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  25. ↑ 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.
  26. ↑ "Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley Join Forces". Ski Alpine. 30 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  27. 1 2 "Andy Wirth named CEO of Squaw Valley". Craig Daily Press. 13 July 2010. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  28. ↑ "Season 4 Episode 11 - Sqauw Valley". CBS. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  29. ↑ Amanda Rhoades (9 August 2017). "Despite ski industry merger, few changes expected for upcoming season at Squaw Valley". Sierra Sun. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  30. ↑ Hugo Martin (31 July 2017). "Colorado partnership completes deal to buy Mammoth and Bear Mountain". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  31. ↑ 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.
  32. ↑ "Long-time Ski Resort Executive, Andy Wirth, Announces His Retirement".
  33. ↑ "California ski resorts embrace renewable energy and hope skiers will love it". Los Angeles Times. 9 February 2018.
  34. ↑ "Squaw-Alpine working to use 100% renewable energy". Lake Tahoe News.
  35. ↑ "Squaw Valley Gets Tesla Batteries to Stabilize Tahoe Power Grid". Bloomberg (Technology). 5 February 2018.
  36. ↑ "NLTRA Board". NLTRA. 13 July 2010. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  37. ↑ Vogel, Ed (5 July 2012). "Committee snuffs Nevada's 2022 Olympic flame". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  38. ↑ "Squaw Valley's Andy Wirth appointed chair of Reno airport board". sierrasun.com. Swift Communications, Inc. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  39. ↑ "MTM Advisory Board".
  40. ↑ "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.
  41. ↑ "Community Five Award 2014 Andy Wirth". The 5-1-1. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  42. ↑ "Leader of Squaw Valley ski resort announces retirement". The Seattle Times. 12 April 2018.
  43. ↑ "Andy Wirth announces retirement from Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows". Tahoe Daily Tribune. 11 April 2018.
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.