EBS STAFF
On May 14, Boyne Resorts—the parent company of Big Sky Resort—announced it had hired Dan Cockerell to a newly created role, president of operations, beginning Aug. 1.
Cockerell’s resume includes nearly three decades of operations leadership in hospitality, including his 26 years with The Walt Disney Company, which culminated in his role as vice president of Disney’s Magic Kingdom managing a workforce of 12,000. He comes to Boyne from his role as CEO of Torrens University in Sydney, Australia, according to a Boyne press release.
Cockerell will report to Stephen Kircher, Boyne president and CEO. Kircher noted that now is the right time to hire an operations leader, seeing Boyne’s growth to “the largest family-owned, independent mountain resort company in North America” including 11,000 peak-winter-season employees across 13 resorts and properties. Furthermore, Kircher recently took on the role as chairman of the National Ski Areas Association.
“The timing is right to bring on a leader of this depth in experience, who can serve as a stronger central partner to our senior team and strengthen succession planning and leadership development across the company,” Kircher stated in the release. “Dan brings the experience, the philosophy and the discipline this role requires, and he has known Boyne for years through industry collaboration and prior work with our teams. The fit is genuine.”
Cockerell noted his pride in joining one of North America’s “most distinctive” collections of resorts and four-season properties, especially one that has remained family-owned and operated across two generations. “That is rare, and it is worth protecting,” Cockerell stated in the release. “I have admired this company for a long time, and I’m honored to join Stephen and the team at a moment when there is so much ahead, from executing the long-range plans at each resort to growing the bench of leaders who will carry Boyne forward for the next generation.”
