December 2014 BCBusiness 23 aDam blasberg
Dave Brownlie
The CEO of Whistler Blackcomb explains how
he plans to "weatherproof " the ski mecca—and
tap into a burgeoning Chinese market
by Fiona Morrow
D
ave Brownlie has been
instrumental in the develop-
ment of Whistler Blackcomb
and building its reputation
as one of the top ski resorts
in North America, if not the world.
A trained chartered accountant,
Brownlie has had a 25-year career
that's included roles under the
resort's various incarnations—
Blackcomb Skiing Enterprises Ltd.,
Intrawest and Fortress Investment
Group—before taking Whistler
Blackcomb Holdings Inc. public in
2010, the year Vancouver hosted the
Winter Olympics. He was pivotal in
pushing through the creation of the
Peak 2 Peak gondola, launched in
2008 as part of his mission to turn
the resort into a year-round destina-
tion. For the 52-year-old father of
three, his calling is also a passion:
the committed fresh powder hound
can often be found on his skis after
work, high in the alpine.
What do you mean when you
talk about "weatherproofing"
Whistler?
The idea of weatherproofing Whis-
tler first evolved on the winter side.
We wanted to make sure we've got a
great product for people when they
come, no matter what, so we've
made strategic capital investments
since the early 2000s: investments
in snowmaking; investments in high
alpine terrain; in the Peak 2 Peak
gondola. We can have no snow on
the bottom half of the mountain and we'd
still have more ski terrain open than any
other mountain in North America. We are
also, thanks to Peak 2 Peak, one of the few
ski resorts in North America that actually
makes a little money during the summer; we
saw visits during the summer season jump
by 50 per cent the first year it was running.
Is it true that you made more snow last
winter than you ever had before?
Last year was certainly an anomaly. The
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