He’s the new general manager of the Sea to Sky Gondola, but Kirby Brown is no stranger to Squamish.
Gondola management announced on Feb. 13 that Brown is taking over the job starting on March 16 and has a wealth of experience in the tourism market.
He worked for several years at Whistler Blackcomb, moved on to become the president and CEO at Panorama Mountain Resort and most recently was the CEO of Whistler’s The Adventure Group. Brown lived several years in Paradise Valley and said he’s thrilled to get the chance to live in Squamish.
“To be a part of the Squamish community at this amazing inflection point and to join a team as strong as the gondola’s is truly an honour,” he said. “I love Squamish and I think Squamish is poised to burst and really become the outdoor adventure capital of Canada.”
He said he has experienced the gondola as a visitor several times and he hopes to continue building on the attraction’s momentum.
“It truly is a gateway to the most incredible sense of being way out there but only being 10 minutes from the highway,” he said. “It’s such a portal experience that it’s almost impossible to describe. Every time you go up there, you just want more of it, and it’s just so B.C. and beautiful.”
Brown said he plans to do a lot of listening once he’s settled into his new role, both to his team and to the public.
“I want to make sure the experience continues to showcase how beautiful Squamish is,” he said. “One of the things that compelled me about the vision for the gondola is that it isn’t just centred on the gondola – it’s centred on Squamish. We want to elevate everything in Squamish and be a catalyst for that.”
He also said bringing new and exciting events to the gondola is part of his vision.
“It’s an excellent event venue because of the ease of access and variability of the terrain,” he said. “Events will be a big part of our future.”
Trevor Dunn, managing partner for the gondola, said Brown should be a good fit.
“We went through an exhaustive search that spanned the tourism industry in Canada, and Kirby stood out as the best choice,” he stated in a news release. “We chose Kirby because he has demonstrated leadership capabilities, is a great fit with our professional team, and has a deep understanding of the tourism market in the Sea to Sky Corridor.”
Brown takes over from Dunn, who was interim general manager during the search.
For more information on the gondola, visit www.seatoskygondola.com.
