Vail Resorts Promotes Australian Resort Leader to Park City and Announces Dual-resort GM Role for Falls Creek and Hotham]
Mountainwatch | Press Release
Today, Vail Resorts announced Richard Phillips as its next Vice President and General Manager of Hotham and Falls Creek ski resorts, effective Sept. 14. Phillips currently serves as VP and GM of Falls Creek and will oversee both resorts in his new role, creating new synergies and collaboration between the neighbouring resorts.
Tina Burford, the current Vice President and General Manager at Hotham, has been appointed the new Sr. Director of Skier Services at Park City Mountain in Park City, Utah – the largest ski resort in the United States. She will relocate to the U.S. after the closing of Hotham in winter 2025.
Rich has led the team at Falls Creek for nearly six years and has more than 25 years of experience in the ski industry in Australia, including former roles in sales and marketing at both Perisher and Thredbo. During his time at Falls Creek, Rich has developed strong partnerships with the local community, which are critical to resort operations and the success of the resort as a winter destination. He has also been a strong advocate for improved snowmaking on key areas of terrain at Falls Creek to improve access to lodging and village services, enhancing the resort and guest experience.
“Rich is a driven, thoughtful, strategic leader and community partner, and he is the right person to bring together the leadership of both Falls Creek and Hotham,” said Jody Churich, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Vail Resorts’ West Region. “This multi-resort leadership model has proven successful in our operation of resorts in North America, creating deeper connections, better efficiencies, and encouraging more collaboration across resorts that are closely related based on size, scale, and geography. I look forward to Rich taking on this expanded role for our company in Australia and bringing this model to life for Falls Creek and Hotham.”
“I am super excited to be joining the Hotham team and community in this new role,” Rich said. “With Hotham being a part of the Vail Resorts family, I have been exposed to the resort in many ways and have been inspired by the passion shown for the mountain and the constant drive to improve the guest experience across all areas of the resort. I am well aware there is much to learn and I’m hungry to better understand all facets of such a unique and beautiful resort. I not only look forward to the opportunity to bring my knowledge and experience to Hotham but also the opportunity to learn from that team and community as I expand my role and impact across our resorts in Australia. Tina has done an incredible job leading the team at Hotham and providing a great experience for skiers and riders, and I am honoured to carry that work forward with the foundation she and the leadership team have set over the last two years.”
Tina Burford has been a long-time leader in the ski industry with a career spanning more than four decades with 32 years at Perisher, including as the resort services director and two years at Hotham as the VP and GM. During Tina’s time at Hotham, she was instrumental in revitalisation efforts across the resort, including reimagining the overall resort experience and the Snowsports School experience. Specifically, she led the redesign and relocation of the Kids Snowsport School to enhance the beginner and family experience with a fresh indoor space and new dedicated learning areas on snow. At the same time, she and her team successfully repurposed the former learning space to implement a progression-focused terrain park and freestyle zone for resort skiers and riders.
“I am excited to see Tina take on a critical role for our company and team at Park City Mountain in the U.S. after such an accomplished career in Australia,” Jody said. “Tina has vast experience training and teaching at resort ski and snowboard schools around the world and has even been an instructor at Vail Mountain in the U.S. With this move and her appointment to a key role at one of our North American resorts, Tina is following in the footsteps of another accomplished leader from our Australian region, Belinda Trembath, who has brought her Aussie perspective and leadership to Whistler Blackcomb as the resort’s COO starting in 2023. We are grateful to have such talented leaders share their impact across the Vail Resorts global portfolio of resorts.”
“I am incredibly proud of the work that we have done at Hotham during my time there as Vice President and General Manager, and particularly our work to improve the Snowsports School experience for our guests,” Tina said. “Prior to leading Hotham, I spent a large part of my career running resort skier services at Perisher, and I am excited to return to these roots at the iconic Park City Mountain. I am incredibly passionate about this sport, its growth for our resorts and our industry, and inspiring the next generation of skiers and snowboarders. I look forward to bringing this passion and drive to the team at Park City.”
Both Rich and Tina will transition into their new roles towards the close of the 2025 Australian winter season, with Rich’s role as Vice President and General Manager of Falls Creek and Hotham effective starting September 14th. Tina will transition into her new role after the closing of Hotham in winter 2025.
