Rob Katz’s first day as chief executive officer of Vail Resorts Inc., was
one of his worst.
He had to tell 100 corporate employees the company
headquarters was moving from the mountains to suburban Broomfield.
He did it without hesitation, knowing from a business standpoint it was
better for the public company to operate out of a metropolitan area near
business and transportation resources than tucked away in Avon, outside
Vail.
“Change is tough, especially when there s a perception that it s made for
you,” said Katz, 39, who last February was named CEO of Vail Resorts.
“People were taken aback because where you live is important in people s
lives. You can have all the business rationales in the world, but we didn t
try to tell people they are going to like this news.
“The first day was the worst, but within a month or two, the move had
receded as an issue and I ve since witnessed a re-invigorating of excitement
in people s careers.”
Vail Resorts lost only a few employees who chose to stay in the mountains.
When the company held a job fair in Lakewood for 25 corporate jobs, 1,500
people showed up.
.
