Your parade of people profiles continues with Alta’s own ski area general manager Mike Maughan. Canyon Blog sat down with the departing leader of the world’s favorite powder ski only resort as he prepares to hand over the reigns after nine years at the helm.
Canyon Blog: What were some of the driving factors during your time as general manager?
Mike Maughan: Much of what we planned over the past decade came from how to prepare for the climate change we’re seeing and the increase in skiers. We couldn’t just continue doing what history had allowed us previously.
CB: Can you give us a couple examples?
MM: Well, for one thing it was important to have a consistent opening day. This helps our ski lodge partners with employee planning and us as well. Much of what we do comes from the question “How do we preserve the skier experience?” So things like snow making become critical as well.
CB: I bet that’s challenging.
MM: Absolutely. If it’s too warm, we can’t make it. If it’s not cold long enough, we can’t get it made and spread around. Last year for instance, we only used half of our water allocated. But we see the future for us as bright. As I said, skier numbers are up at Alta.
CB: Switching topics, how’d your journey start in Alta?
MM: I was an accountant with Ernst and Young and Alta inquired if we had someone who could help computerize their systems. This was thirty-six years ago.
CB: So, you took the job?
MM: Well, no. I actually worked up the solutions, which took a fair amount of time, and presented it to them. And said, “Look, you don’t have the right person to work all these systems.”
CB: So, then you offered to hire on?
MM: Well, no. Alan Orr, the driving force behind the owners at the time and a famous local attorney, called me into his office in Salt Lake, pushed aside the documents, looked me in the eye and said, “Would you consider hiring on with us?” That was it.
CB: That’s a great start.
MM: I did accounting at first, then IT, a lot of summer work running things off season. For twenty-seven years I did the inside work while Onno (the then general manager) did outside. When he retired nine years ago I took over.
CB: So what’s next for the Maughan family?
MM: Well, I’ve always been driven by three things, my family, my faith, and Alta. All have taken different amounts of time. We’ve decided to give more of it to our faith and we’re going to do church work.
A great next step in the opinion of your correspondent. From all of us over the many years and vertical footage, thanks for all your commitment and time Mike.