Win Smith retires; Sugarbush Resort names new president and COO
August 14, 2020 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Win Smith, former owner, president and chief operating officer at Sugarbush Resort has handed over the reins. Photo courtesy of Sugarbush.
Sugarbush Resort on Thursday announced the retirement of former owner and current president and COO Win Smith along with the appointment of John Hammond to succeed him.
The former vice president of Mountain Operations and Recreational Services, Hammond moves up to president and chief operating officer.
“I am delighted to announce that John Hammond will be stepping into the role of President and Chief Operating Officer effective September 1,” Smith said. “John knows this mountain, its operations, and its guests through and through, and I could not be more excited for and confident in him moving forward.”
Smith will continue as an advisor to the current leadership team and leaves behind a two-decade legacy at Sugarbush, having owned the Warren resort from September 2001 to January 2020.
Smith came to Sugarbush from a previous career on Wall Street. He became the face of Sugarbush, known for his commitment to the operation and the community. During his tenure, Sugarbush invested $75 million in capital projects, rebuilding the Lincoln Peak Village with a new hotel, base lodge, and skier service buildings, building two real estate projects, and investing in numerous mountain upgrades.
Hammond is a Sugarbush veteran, having gotten his start at the mountain in 1991 as a marketing and mountain operations intern as a UVM student. Hammond grew up in Middlebury received a bachelor’s degree at the University of Vermont in Recreation Management.
Hammond began his career working full-time at Sugarbush as a ski patroller. He went on to become Director of Ski Patrol, eventually adding terrain parks, lift operations, and trail maintenance to his responsibilities before becoming Vice President of Mountain Operations.
He has been in his most recent role as Vice President of Mountain Operations and Recreational Services since 2011, where he has held responsibility for winter mountain operations, Ski & Ride School, daycare, rental and repair programs, and summer mountain activities.
“I am extremely honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Hammond said. “While nobody can fill the void left by Win in this industry, I believe our resort’s leadership team is in a strong position to continue to improve upon the guest experience and cultivate further what Win and our team have developed here at Sugarbush.”
The moves mark the transition at Sugarbush Resort since it was purchased in January from Denver-based Alterrra Mountain Company as the 15th ski resort in its portfolio. Alterrra also owns Stratton Mountain Resort in southern Vermont.
Alterrra CEO Rusty Gregory in a statement thanked Smith for his contributions and wished him well.
“Since we welcomed Sugarbush to the Alterra Mountain Company family, Win has contributed greatly to our company’s leadership through the early transition to our challenging spring closure,” Gregory said. “I thank Win for all he has done for Sugarbush, his team, and the company and wish him the very best. And I congratulate John Hammond on his new role and look forward to building the future of Alterra Mountain Company with him and the entire Sugarbush team.”
Sugarbush is a year-round ski resort spanning Mount Ellen and Lincoln Peak which are connected by a high-speed quad. It has a hotel, condominiums, mountain bike trails, and an 18-hole golf course.
Smith’s full message announcing the moves is online on the Sugarbush website’s SugarBlog.
John Hammond has spent his career at Sugarbush and now takes the helm as president and chief operating officer. Photo courtesy of Sugarbush.