VAIL SUCKS

[jimmywilson69]

I agree Dr Jeff about the actual experience, this is just a very bizarre move. like does Kristen Lynch owe her a favor? Does she have dirt on Katz?

I have always said that any good manager could run a ski area, if they were smart enough to listen to their sector managers that they oversee.

I also think that its potentially a bad move because someone outside of the industry is always going to fall back on cost metrics and that's not a great place to manage from for a ski area. We don't need a bunch of wall street yahoos running ski resorts. No offense to @WinS of course

 

[ThatGuy]

“We’re not going to talk about my days on Seal Team 6…lets just say Lea saved my ass once in Kabul so I owe her big time”

 

[deadheadskier]

wait they hired a new correspondent as the new GM at Mount Snow? Did she work in the industry? I am very confused and of course there is nothing on the MS social media or the MS website.

I think Bobby Katz probably read us making fun of his F&B manager strategy for GMs and decided to really F with us this time.

 

[Smellytele]

More like a retired Navy acrrier based fighter pilot with her Bachleors in Mechanical Engineer from Annapolis, then a stint on the ground embedded with Seal teams in Afghanistan for intelligence gathering purposes, followed by a stint with the State Department, then a stint in media, before recently getting her MBA from MIT. This apparently is her 1st job in the ski industry, but she's been a skier since she was 2.5yrs old and the 1st number of her age, per wiki, is still a 4.... Lots of leadership experience for sure. And a ski area GM at a major resort is more about leading and supporting your teams than actual hands on day to day mtn ops things.

I am excited to see what she brings to Mount Snow, and I know that she has a bunch of strong department leaders who will give her the on the ground information about day to day operations and the needs of the departments. If she can land an F-18 on a carrier deck at night, pretty sure she's got the learning skills and leadership ability to quickly learn the ropes of running Mount Snow

You are the most optimistic Mt snow homer ever.
So as far as I can see a GM is useless with the hiring they have been making.
Pretty much like most middle management.

 

[jaytrem]

How does she feel about thin cover signs?

 

[drjeff]

You are the most optimistic Mt snow homer ever.
So as far as I can see a GM is useless with the hiring they have been making.
Pretty much like most middle management.

I just find that my life atleast, is much more enjoyable, on a day to day basis when I choose to look at things as the glass isn't just half full, but usually close to full everyday, rather than just being a miserable crummudgeon who isn't "happy" unless they're complaining about something

 

[thetrailboss]

I just find that my life atleast, is much more enjoyable, on a day to day basis when I choose to look at things as the glass isn't just half full, but usually close to full everyday, rather than just being a miserable crummudgeon who isn't "happy" unless they're complaining about something

"I love it!"

 

[letitsnow1]

Her qualifications are about the same as Hegseths qualifications for secretary of defense

 

[doublediamond]

Maybe the new GM will fix things. They hosted a 300 person seminar of peer snowsports managers and they had them park in an unlit parking lot that was a sheet of ice after only one snow storm.

 

[cdskier]

I certainly did not have "former navy pilot and Fox News correspondent with no ski industry experience" on my Vail Resorts GM Hiring Bingo card...

 

[thetrailboss]

I agree Dr Jeff about the actual experience, this is just a very bizarre move. like does Kristen Lynch owe her a favor? Does she have dirt on Katz?

I have always said that any good manager could run a ski area, if they were smart enough to listen to their sector managers that they oversee.

I also think that its potentially a bad move because someone outside of the industry is always going to fall back on cost metrics and that's not a great place to manage from for a ski area. We don't need a bunch of wall street yahoos running ski resorts. No offense to @WinS of course

Well, as you saw earlier today, the Creepy Rob Meme kind of has a crush on her and asked us not to talk to HR.

 

[Edd]

Can’t find info on this Mt Snow GM. Not even a name. Anyone have a link?

 

[thetrailboss]

Can’t find info on this Mt Snow GM. Not even a name. Anyone have a link?

Just saw something on Skiology or what ever it is called.....

 

[jimmywilson69]

That idiot probably got thst info from here...

 

[thetrailboss]

That idiot probably got thst info from here...

I think I might have also seen an announcement on SAM as well.

 

[ThatGuy]

That idiot probably got thst info from here...

Wouldnt surprise me if he lurks around here just to pre-ban us from his group if we say anything negative about him

 

[urungus]

its potentially a bad move because someone outside of the industry is always going to fall back on cost metrics and that's not a great place to manage from for a ski area.

My fear as well.

 

[deadheadskier]

My fear as well.

I would potentially have this fear if she were an actual business person coming in.
My greatest concern would be that she has absolutely zero business experience period, nevermind ski business experience.

I get your optimistic outlook on life Dr Jeff, but look at this as a business owner yourself. Would you hire a dental hygienist with zero experience just because they have great teeth and passion for smiles? That's close to what this is minus the licensing requirement.

Being critical of the hire isn't being negative. She would not get a management or even entry level sales job in my industry, that I can tell you.

 

[jimmywilson69]

solid points.

I hope she works out, but honestly this is just another indicator that the Vail doesn't value the GM role. That role does what you are told to do by Broomfield. PERIOD.


This couldn't be more true as I look at the Roundtop webcams and they've not only blown enough snow to open, but to weather some rain and warmups... Yet our corporate overlords say "You will open later in the month". There is no way a GM with authority to run their ski area would not open this weekend to fan fare as it would be the first time in about 5 years they would be able to open before Christmas week...

 

[drjeff]

I would potentially have this fear if she were an actual business person coming in.
My greatest concern would be that she has absolutely zero business experience period, nevermind ski business experience.

I get your optimistic outlook on life Dr Jeff, but look at this as a business owner yourself. Would you hire a dental hygienist with zero experience just because they have great teeth and passion for smiles? That's close to what this is minus the licensing requirement.

Being critical of the hire isn't being negative. She would not get a management or even entry level sales job in my industry, that I can tell you.

Frankly I couldn't hire a hygenist, unless they had graduated from a hygiene program, had passed their proper radiology and certification exams and had their state license. I have hired many assistants and office staff people over the years that had no in the field experience, but had certain qualities that I read as a strong work ethic at their interview, that have worked out well.

One other thing, across most industries, how often do you hear that employers often seek out retired military and military officers to work for their company? Quite often in my experience and often because employers know that their years in military service often instill in them a solid sense of leadership, personal accountability and the ability to work with a team. In many industries that day to day nuances of the business can be taught/learned much easier and quicker than developing the leadership skills that years in the military very often provides.

The GM position at Mount Snow involves year round management of various teams across a wide range of jobs, where the GM is overseeing all of those teams. This is different than say a small resort, which is mainly just a seasonal ski area, where the GM may from time to time have to pick up a shift in a cat, or make snow, etc. I suspect that just has been the case for as long as I can remember at Mount Snow, that we'll see her out scanning passes or interacting with the parents and instructors/coaches of the seasonal youth programs, or around the Mount Snow Golf Club in the Summer, or walking around and interacting with staff and guests at the various festivals the mountain hosts thoughout the year