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Andy Wirth, who has taken the reins as Squaw Valley Ski Corporation’s new CEO, comes to the area from Steamboat Springs. Nancy Cushing recently retired after 16 years at the helm. |
Comments (4)Nancy Cushing Retires; Andy Wirth Takes Reins at Squaw
By David BunkerPublished: August 15, 2010
Andy Wirth’s first day looked something like a mini-Apocalypse. Fire dancers writhed to earth-thumping electronic bass beats while ragtag hordes of festival-goers decked out in their best Burning Man attire danced deep into the night.
Wirth, who had just arrived in Squaw Valley from Steamboat Springs in the middle of the resort’s busiest summer weekend, is one of the few people not named Cushing to be CEO of the ski resort that brought the Olympics to Tahoe in 1960.
And the Wanderlust Festival, a yoga and DJ-heavy music festival in its second year in the valley, was perhaps the best introduction Wirth could have had to a resort that is no longer resting on its Olympic tradition but straining to become a full-fledged, four-season destination.
Wirth follows Nancy Cushing, who retires after 16 years as president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Corp. She will remain as the chairman of the ski corporation’s board and continue living in Squaw Valley, according to Squaw Valley spokeswoman Amelia Richmond.
Wirth comes with a thick ski industry resumé heavy on marketing. He is best known for his success negotiating air connections between Steamboat Springs and major U.S. cities — a critical business move for the remote, destination-oriented ski area.
Wirth’s first day on the job was not the day to lay out all his plans for Squaw Valley. Instead, he freely admitted he has “a lot to learn about the culture of the Squaw customer.”
But being new has its pros as well as its cons, said Wirth.
“I have the challenge of being new to the valley. There is a lot I need to learn, but I also have the benefit of having fresh eyes,” said Wirth.
Under his leadership, Squaw Valley will focus on having the highest level of customer service. Wirth said he will work to build on Squaw’s extremely loyal customer base, a similar type of skier that he saw at Steamboat Springs.
“People have a deep passion for Squaw. They identify with it,” Wirth said.
Bob Roberts, executive director of the California Ski Industry Association, has watched the changes unfold at Squaw — changes that seem to be accelerating in the past couple years. The purchase of the Village at Squaw positions Squaw Valley to take advantage of the destination market, said Roberts. Wirth’s marketing know-how paired with world-class lodging and skiing could mean a larger influx of far-flung visitors in the coming years.
“If the locals are listening, they may hear more foreign accents or conversations in languages they can’t fathom,” said Roberts.
While the destination market might be one business move, Roberts said the last thing that Squaw Valley needs is a large-scale overhaul of its business.
“Squaw had a phenomenal year this year — it isn’t broken so it is a question of how do they build from here,” said Roberts.
As for locals who come to Squaw Valley for the skiing, Wirth’s appointment as CEO and the end of the era of Cushings running the daily operation of the ski resort should translate into very few major changes, said spokeswoman Richmond.
“Locals come to Squaw because of our terrain. We have some of the most compelling chutes and steeps in the country, and that is not going anywhere,” said Richmond.
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