Dave Brownlie's replacement has been named.
Vail Resorts announced Friday morning, June 16, that Pete Sonntag will step into the role of Whistler Blackcomb (WB) COO later this summer, filling the shoes of Brownlie, who worked at the resort for nearly 30 years.
Sonntag has served as the senior vice-president of Vail's Lake Tahoe region since 2015 and will start in Whistler once his Canadian work visa is approved. His current portfolio includes working as the COO of Heavenly Mountain Resort while overseeing Northstar California and Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
Sonntag previously managed ski and snowboard schools in Vail and Beaver Creek and was the director of skier services at Keystone Mountain Resort before that. He started his mountain career as a ski instructor at Beaver Creek while working as a greenskeeper at the local golf course in the summer, later working his way up to supervisor and private lesson manager before directing the adult ski and snowboard school. He then directed the Copper Mountain Resort Ski & Ride School.
Vail Resorts' mountain division president Pat Campbell is excited to see Sonntag take on the new role.
"Pete brings more than three decades of experience in the ski industry and has held a variety of senior leadership roles with Vail Resorts at Heavenly, Vail, Beaver Creek and Keystone in addition to his current role overseeing our three Tahoe resorts, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood," Campbell said in a release. "Over the course of Pete's career at our company, he has had the opportunity to focus on both winter and summer operations at several of our resorts, a perspective that will continue to be invaluable to the team and guest experience at Whistler Blackcomb. His knowledge and strategic thinking and leadership in creating a complete resort experience, both on and off the mountain, will drive the resort's continued success and world-class reputation."
Sonntag earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Albany in New York and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Vermont.
Sonntag and wife Carol have three children.
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