1 day Ago By Josie Taris, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Three Aspen Skiing Co. executives with nearly 100 years of combined tenure will all retire over the upcoming ski season. Katie Ertl, senior vice president of mountain operations, said she might return to her SkiCo roots and work as a part-time ski instructor after her retirement.
Three executives at Aspen One, the parent company to Aspen Skiing Co., will all be phasing out of their jobs over the next ski season, with dates set for their retirements. Aspen One announced the impending retirement of Senior Vice President of Mountain Operations Katie Ertl, Vice President of Communications Jeff Hanle and Chief Human Resources Officer Jim Laing in an email to staff on Sept.
11. The email was obtained by the Aspen Daily News. The three execs have been with the company for decades, nearing 100 years of combined experience.
The phased retirements will come at different times. Ertl said that their decision to all retire over the next few months was not coordinated. The change comes in the second winter season following the restructuring of SkiCo to Aspen One, a corporate structure focused on three divisions: SkiCo and its mountain operations, AspenX, a luxury retail and experiences brand; and Aspen Hospitality, which has focused on the expansion of The Little Nell and Limelight brands.
Ertl, 56, will transition to a senior adviser role on Dec. 1, ensuring transitions with partners like the White River National Forest and the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office go smoothly. March 31, 2025, will be her last day with the company.
She said the current succession plan is to have other mountain managers work more closely with SkiCo CEO Geoff Buchheister. Ertl said she’s learned a lot with the leadership change and has enjoyed the new perspective, but after most of her life spent with the old structure, the transition was a challenge. “I think sometimes I hold on to the past, the way we did things in the past, and so that can be difficult for me,” she said.
“I think this is a good time for me just to be grateful for everything that I had and have been able to do with the teams and the trust that I’ve gained, and step away happy.” Her tenure with SkiCo began when she was an 18-year-old ski instructor. After moving from managing director of the ski and snowboard schools to her current role, Ertl said she told former SkiCo CEO Mike Kaplan that she had about five to six years left in her — that was seven seasons ago.
She plans to stay in the valley during her “retirement” — which she called more of a “stepping away” than ceasing work, maybe joining her husband and returning to her roots as a ski instructor, or working with animals. Ertl was named one of the recipients of the Ski Area Management SAMMY Leadership Awards this year. Jeff Hanle Hanle has been with the organization for 26 years.
According to the email, he will stay on through March 31, 2025, to assist in the transition and help train the new communications leader. Laing’s retirement announcement comes in his 30th year with the company. He will transition to a senior adviser role on Oct.
1, with official retirement slated for June 1, 2025. According to the email, he is the longest tenured executive/officer in the company’s history. Lisa Flynn is named in the email as Laing’s successor.
According to LinkedIn, she is the senior vice president of human resources at Aspen One. She will assume Laing’s role on Oct. 1.
Talk of a possible sale of Aspen One to Alterra Mountain Company have swirled locally and in other ski towns, as the Crown family owns Aspen One and is a co-owner of Alterra. Aspen One CEO David Tanner sought to shut down the speculation in a statement. “Concerning any sale rumors, they are patently false.
Our ownership has supported Aspen One and the Aspen community for almost 50 years, and is steadfast in supporting our business. Our unique values-based culture, legendary guest service, and unparalleled execution are world-renowned,” Tanner said in an email through the Aspen One communications department. “Our three business verticals — Aspen Skiing Company, Aspen Hospitality and Aspen Ventures — as well as our centralized Aspen One support functions are all receiving significant investment to more fully capture the opportunity that exists to continue to elevate everything we do, capitalize on our independence and to expand the Aspen brand globally.
We are focused on building for the next 50 years, not thinking short-term.” Aspen One created a new executive position this year , vice president of housing and child care, to address related crises facing their employees and the community at large..
