Rob Katz
Rob Katz first visited Vail in 1991, a few years after graduating from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He wasn’t seeking the mountain life, his ambitions were around his career on Wall Street at Apollo Management, which he joined at its founding in 1990. But a year after his visit to Colorado, Apollo took control of Vail Resorts, and shortly thereafter Katz joined its board of directors.
Katz ultimately became Vail Resort CEO in 2006, and his vision to “re-imagine the mountain experience around the world” drove a revolution at the company and across the ski industry. In 2008, he developed the Epic Pass, a season pass that wasn’t just for locals, providing unprecedented access and value. Season passes are now a defining feature of the ski industry, making the sport more accessible and providing stability from weather fluctuations. Under Katz’s leadership, Vail Resorts became the global leader in mountain resorts, growing from five resorts to 41 resorts across 15 states and four countries.
Today, the company has 55,000 employees, up from 8,000 when he joined. With a focus on leadership development, Katz drove a dramatic improvement in gender diversity within a historically male-dominated industry. Vail Resorts now has women running 10 resorts, up from zero, including Vail, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Park City, and Whistler Blackcomb. Today, its CEO, CFO, and 50% of its board directors are women.
Katz spearheaded Vail Resorts’ industry-leading responsibility platform, EpicPromise, which supports communities, employees, and the environment. Each year, the company provides nearly $25 million to its mountain communities to support critical needs such as affordable housing, child care, and youth access. In 2017, Vail Resorts made a bold sustainability pledge to reach a zero net operating footprint by 2030 and remains on track to reach its Commitment to Zero.
After almost 16 years as CEO, Katz stepped down and named Kirsten Lynch as his internal successor in 2021. He remains fully involved in Vail Resorts’ strategic operations as executive chairman of the board. In 2022, the National Ski Areas Association honored Katz with the Industry Impact Award. He has also been recognized as Forbes’ Global Game Changer, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, and Denver Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO.
Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam, a New York Times best-selling author, founded the Katz Amsterdam Foundation in 2017. Among other efforts, the Foundation works with mountain communities to advance access to mental and behavioral healthcare, with $22 million in grants to date. Katz resides in Boulder with his wife, with whom he has two children.
Katz ultimately became Vail Resort CEO in 2006, and his vision to “re-imagine the mountain experience around the world” drove a revolution at the company and across the ski industry. In 2008, he developed the Epic Pass, a season pass that wasn’t just for locals, providing unprecedented access and value. Season passes are now a defining feature of the ski industry, making the sport more accessible and providing stability from weather fluctuations. Under Katz’s leadership, Vail Resorts became the global leader in mountain resorts, growing from five resorts to 41 resorts across 15 states and four countries.
Today, the company has 55,000 employees, up from 8,000 when he joined. With a focus on leadership development, Katz drove a dramatic improvement in gender diversity within a historically male-dominated industry. Vail Resorts now has women running 10 resorts, up from zero, including Vail, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Park City, and Whistler Blackcomb. Today, its CEO, CFO, and 50% of its board directors are women.
Katz spearheaded Vail Resorts’ industry-leading responsibility platform, EpicPromise, which supports communities, employees, and the environment. Each year, the company provides nearly $25 million to its mountain communities to support critical needs such as affordable housing, child care, and youth access. In 2017, Vail Resorts made a bold sustainability pledge to reach a zero net operating footprint by 2030 and remains on track to reach its Commitment to Zero.
After almost 16 years as CEO, Katz stepped down and named Kirsten Lynch as his internal successor in 2021. He remains fully involved in Vail Resorts’ strategic operations as executive chairman of the board. In 2022, the National Ski Areas Association honored Katz with the Industry Impact Award. He has also been recognized as Forbes’ Global Game Changer, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, and Denver Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO.
Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam, a New York Times best-selling author, founded the Katz Amsterdam Foundation in 2017. Among other efforts, the Foundation works with mountain communities to advance access to mental and behavioral healthcare, with $22 million in grants to date. Katz resides in Boulder with his wife, with whom he has two children.