Vail Resorts Inc. should hire a tested executive from a publicly traded company to succeed Adam Aron as chief executive, several industry observers say.
“I don’t think there is anybody in the Colorado ski industry that could be tapped for this job,” said Jerry Jones, a longtime industry consultant. “They need real-estate expertise, they need Wall Street expertise, and they really need someone with experience in the hospitality and travel industry.”
Vail Resorts’ board launched a search for Aron’s successor Monday, looking at both internal and external candidates, in the wake of Aron’s decision to step down in five months from a job he has held for nearly a decade.
“Vail has been on a roll, especially in the last year,” said Ralf Garrison, managing director of the Mountain Travel Research Project, an industry database. “Wall Street doesn’t like change, and investors don’t like change. A credentialed big gun from someone like Expedia, the cruise lines, a Hyatt or a Hilton seems like the safest bet.”
Ski-industry analyst Will Marks of JMP Securities in San Francisco said, “More important than just finding someone who can generate buzz on CNBC is finding someone who can be a good leader.”
Bill Jensen, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain, is said to be the top inside contender. He did not return calls for comment Wednesday.
Jensen, a 30-year industry veteran, has worked as senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail’s Breckenridge ski resort; president of Fibreboard Resort Group, operator of three California ski resorts; vice president of marketing for Sunday River Ski Resort; and vice president of Kassbohrer All Terrain Vehicles, a manufacturer of snow-grooming vehicles.
Aron has declined to say what his plans are, other than that he will step down in June.
He said Monday that his resignation announcement generated interest from several companies.
“My phone has been ringing all day, which makes me feel proud,” he said. “There have been a few discussions.”
Vail’s stock closed at $30.59 Wednesday, up 20 cents. The company owns five ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge in Colorado and Heavenly on the California-Nevada border. The company also owns the Grand Teton Lodge Co. in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and RockResorts, a luxury-hotel chain.
In other Vail Resorts news, Vail Mountain announced Wednesday that, for the first time, it is extending its daily operating hours by 30 minutes. Starting Saturday, lifts will close at 4 p.m. instead of 3:30 p.m. through the season’s end.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
