Todd Bennett
COO & President | Deer Valley
What emerging market trends or disruptions are you preparing your company for?
We just launched the largest expansion of a ski resort in North American history and are excited to share it with our existing guests and people who haven’t visited us before. With over 100 trails and 10 new lifts, Deer Valley is well positioned to attract new guests from around the U.S. and the world, leveraging the recently renovated and incredible Salt Lake City International Airport. In fact, guests can travel from the airport to our new East Village in about 40 minutes and never encounter a stoplight. So, the proximity to a major airport, coupled with massive investment in new terrain, ski lifts and five-star lodging like Four Seasons and Waldorf Astoria, are all the right ingredients to deliver a one-of-a-kind ski experience.
We’re also seeing continued growth in international visitation, which brings both opportunity and responsibility. Our approach is to welcome a more global guest while staying true to what defines Deer Valley — a ski-only experience with a consistently high standard of service and quality.
As we look ahead to the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games, our focus is on readiness and partnership. We are excited to welcome the world alongside our community and partners, and to ensure that when guests visit Deer Valley, they experience the quality, hospitality and sense of place that define this resort.
What are you most looking forward to accomplishing in 2026?
In 2026, I’m most looking forward to continuing the work we’ve begun — refining the expanded terrain and guest offerings introduced over the past two years, while advancing the next phases of Expanded Excellence. The opportunity is to ensure everything we’ve built is performing at the highest level and delivers the Deer Valley experience our guests expect, now at a larger and more connected scale.
Our commitment remains unchanged: exceptional service, attention to detail and genuine care for our guests, our employees and a deep respect for skiing and the mountain that has long shaped our culture and approach. As this work continues, it’s important that we bring our people and our community along with us — ensuring our teams feel supported, prepared and proud of what we’re building. Success is measured not just by what we deliver on the mountain, but by how thoughtfully we do it, preserving the integrity of the brand while creating lasting value for our guests and our employees.
How do you define success for yourself and your company?
At Deer Valley, success is delivering a world-class guest experience while maintaining operational excellence and protecting the values and brand integrity that define who we are as we grow.
My leadership philosophy is rooted in care for people, place and craft. We are executing the largest ski resort expansion in North American history while preserving our ski-only identity and premium service standards. Doing both requires discipline, attention to detail, and a phased, execution-focused approach.
Success also shows up in our culture, our connection to the community and the consistency of the experience we deliver every day. I believe in being visible, accessible and closely connected to our teams across the organization. When our people feel proud of what we’re building and our guests consistently experience the Deer Valley Difference, I know we’re on the right path.
