Park City Mountain VP & COO Mike Goar departing for Switzerland

Park City Mountain VP and COO Mike Goar is leaving for Vail Resort's new Swiss destination. Photo: Vail Resorts

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City Mountain announced Tuesday that Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Goar is departing the resort later this month to prepare for a new leadership role at Andermatt-Sedrun in central Switzerland.

Vail Resorts, Park City Mountain’s parent company, acquired the destination earlier this year. Goar will serve as VP, COO, and Managing Director of Andermatt-Sedrun, pending the acquisition’s closure.

Goar’s career started at Solitude in 1981, where he spent 27 years. He then took over as the VP and GM of The Canyons for eight years, including during its merger with Park City Mountain in 2015. He later served in leadership roles at Keystone and Heavenly before returning to lead Park City in 2019.

“Park City is an incredible mountain and an incredible town, but it is the people who truly make it special,” Goar said in a statement.

“I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to work alongside such passionate, hardworking teammates and community members. While I will deeply miss this place, I am excited to support our company as we expand into Europe – and thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the team at Andermatt-Sedrun.”

Deirdra Walsh is expected to take his place at Park City Mountain on May 30. Walsh recently served three years as the VP and general manager of Northstar Ski Resort in North Lake Tahoe.

“She is one of the most compassionate and inspiring leaders in our industry, and I know the resort and this community will see great things under her leadership,” Goar said of Walsh.

Walsh began her ski industry career at Park City Mountain as a member of the conference sales team in 2007 and was promoted to director of mountain dining in 2010, followed by senior director of mountain dining in 2016. She was later named VP and GM of Northstar in 2019, where she led the resort through the pandemic. Prior to her time in the ski industry, she worked at Martiz Travel Company, leading hospitality programs for Fortune 500 companies across the globe.

“I am truly overjoyed to have the opportunity to come back to Park City Mountain, a place near and dear to my heart,” Walsh said in a statement. “I know both the opportunities and complexities of this resort well, and I am eager to partner with the community alongside this dedicated team. I am grateful to Mike for the legacy and foundation he has built here, and I’m committed to continuing that great work to make Park City Mountain the world-class destination it is known to be.”

More from Vail Resorts Executive Vice President Bill Rock:

Park City Mountain and the Park City community are truly special places, and I know there’s no one better suited to lead the resort forward than Deirdra.

She is a star in the ski industry and someone with limitless talent and passion. As COO & GM of Northstar, she has continually demonstrated the ability to inspire and engage her teams while also tackling complex operational challenges.

Returning to Park City to lead the resort and the team there is such a natural next step for Deirdra, and I can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have on the future of Park City Mountain.

I’m also thrilled to see Mike step into this important new leadership role at Andermatt-Sedrun as Vail Resorts expands into Europe.

I want to thank him for the remarkable impact he’s had on Park City Mountain. Mike has a proven track record of leading complex operations and teams with integrity and success, and I am excited to see his impact expand even farther to our operations in Switzerland.