Vail Resorts Australia is losing another (female) senior leader to the USA. Hotham VP and GM Tina Burford will be departing the Aussie resort for Park City to take on the exciting role of Senior Director of Skier Services at the USA’s largest ski resort.
It’s fantastic news for Burford as she progresses her career within Vail Resorts and relocates to Utah at the end of this ski season. A long-time leader in the ski industry with a career spanning more than four decades with 32 years at Perisher, Burford has been instrumental in revitalisation efforts across the resort, including reimagining the overall resort experience and the Snowsports School experience.
She also led the redesign and relocation of the Kids Snowsport School to enhance the beginner and family experience with a fresh indoor space and new dedicated learning areas on snow. At the same time, she and her team successfully repurposed the former learning space to implement a progression-focused terrain park and freestyle zone for resort skiers and riders.
Burford’s international promotion comes after Belinda Trembath, who moved from the Hotham GM role to the Perisher GM role in 2022, was also “poached” internally for the much coveted role of Chief Operating Officer for North America’s largest ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb, after her first season at Perisher. Clearly our Australian ski resort female senior management are in hot by Vail Resorts HQ.
Buford’s move is also good news for current Falls Creek GM, Richard Phillips who has led the Falls Creek team for six years. He will take on the newly created role of VP and GM of both Falls Creek and Hotham from September 1 this year. It is believed he’ll relocate to Hotham for the 2026 season.
“I am well aware there is much to learn and I’m hungry to better understand all facets of such a unique and beautiful resort,” said Phillips of the new role. “I not only look forward to the opportunity to bring my knowledge and experience to Hotham but also the opportunity to learn from that team and community as I expand my role and impact across our resorts in Australia.
Tina has done an incredible job leading the team at Hotham and providing a great experience for skiers and riders, and I am honoured to carry that work forward with the foundation she and the leadership team have set over the last two years.”
Phillips role as Vice President and General Manager of Falls Creek and Hotham is effective starting Sept. 14 while Tina will transition into her new role after the closing of Hotham in winter 2025. Nathan Butterworth remains VP and GM of Perisher and Michael Fearnside, Mountain Operations Director.
With Burford moving to Park City, Australians will need to head across the Pacific if they want their boots fitted by one of the best boot fitters in the country as her husband, Andy “The Bootfitter” Burford will also be making the move.
