Winthrop H Smith Jr Email & Phone Number

Warren, Vt, Us

Warren, Vermont

In 1984, while I was enjoying a successful career at Merrill Lynch, I brought my family with me to Vermont for an Amherst fraternity reunion and my kids fell in love with Sugarbush. We started spending most winter weekends up here. Then I got a call from a couple of businessmen in the Mad River Valley who said that Sugarbush was nearing bankruptcy. I talked it over with some friends and in September 2001 we bought the resort. At that time, I intended it as a passive investment. But one month later, just after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, I had a conversation with the new CEO at Merrill and abruptly resigned when I recognized that the culture of the firm was about to change and with it our heritage and prestige in the business world. Eventually, in 2004, I moved to Vermont and took a more active role in bringing Sugarbush back to life. It didn’t take me long to realize that running a ski resort in a small Vermont town was actually very similar to working on Wall Street. We have adopted the principles I learned at Merrill Lynch and work everyday to create that caring and nurturing culture for our employees, our guests, and our community. Today Sugarbush is a thriving, four-season mountain resort that offers unparalleled recreational opportunities and a quintessential Vermont experience. As one of the largest ski resorts in New England, our 4,000 acres include the Slide Brook Wilderness with wooded outback terrain that connects our two base areas. Sugarbush Resort encompasses two mountains and six peaks with 581 skiable acres, 53 miles of trails, and 16 lifts. Our elevation at the summit 4,083 feet and average annual snowfall is 250 inches. Since 2006, we have completed construction of six beautiful new slopeside buildings and since 2014 have invested nearly $9 million in upgrades to mountain operations. Our mission statement says it all: "Cultivating a spirit of lifelong adventure and camaraderie."

After receiving an MBA from Wharton, I made the decision to work for the company that my late father had co-led for twenty-one years, starting as an associate in the Investment Banking Division. Over the years, I held positions not only in investment banking but also in wealth management, finance, marketing, and human resources. I enjoyed every minute of my successful twenty-eight-year career at Merrill Lynch then resigned abruptly in 2001 because I believed that the incoming CEO did not appreciate the powerful and enduring culture and principles that had made us one of the world's leading and most venerated financial firms. It was a culture that required integrity and respect. Without it, I was sure the company would falter. Unfortunately, I was right. In 2013, I published a book entitled "Catching Lightning in a Bottle" that is the facinating history of Merrill Lynch, a company that was once called the only firm on Wall Street with a soul.

Bachelor Of Arts, Political Science

Activities and Societies: Chi Psi, Varsity Soccer, Rugby

Education record

Education record