Sugarbush Resort Names John Hammond As New President And Chief Operating Officer

Sugarbush Resort has announced that John Hammond, formerly Vice President of Mountain Operations and Recreational Services, will be stepping into the role of President and Chief Operating Officer. The announcement coincides with former owner and current President and COO, Win Smith, announcing his retirement.

“I am delighted to announce that John Hammond will be stepping into the role of President and Chief Operating Officer effective September 1 st ,” said Smith.“ John knows this mountain, its operations, and its guests through and through, and I could not be more excited for and confident in him moving forward.”

While Smith will continue on as an advisor to the current leadership team, he leaves behind a lasting legacy at Sugarbush, having owned the resort from September, 2001 to January, 2020. Smith brought with him a set of values from his previous career on Wall Street, a culture of closeness, and a personal commitment to guests and the community. Under his leadership the resort invested $75 million in capital projects, rebuilding the Lincoln Peak Village with a new hotel, base lodge, and skier service buildings, building two real estate projects, and investing in numerous mountain upgrades.

“Since we welcomed Sugarbush to the Alterra Mountain Company family, Win has contributed greatly to our company’s leadership through the early transition to our challenging spring closure,” said Rusty Gregory, CEO of Alterra Mountain Company. “I thank Win for all he has done for Sugarbush, his team, and the company and wish him the very best. And I congratulate John Hammond on his new role and look forward to building the future of Alterra Mountain Company with him and the entire Sugarbush team.”

Hammond grew up in Middlebury, VT and attended the University of Vermont where he received a BS in Recreation Management. He first worked for Sugarbush in 1991 as a  marketing intern while at UVM, later completing a mountain operations internship and eventually joining full time as a ski patroller after college. Hammond went on to become  Director of Ski Patrol, eventually adding terrain parks, lift operations, and trail maintenance to his responsibilities before becoming Vice President of Mountain Operations. He has served in his most recent roll as Vice President of Mountain Operations and Recreational Services since 2011, where he has held responsibility for winter mountain operations, Ski & Ride School, daycare, rental and repair programs, and summer mountain activities.

“I am extremely honored and grateful for this opportunity,” said Hammond. “While nobody can fill the void left by Win in this industry, I believe our resort’s leadership team is in a strong position to continue to improve upon the guest experience and cultivate further what Win and our team has developed here at Sugarbush.”