Kirby Brown is a great example of how committed and hard-working individuals have an opportunity to “move on up” within the ever-expanding tourism and hospitality industry.
At the tender age of 28, Kirby found himself responsible for the 4,000 employees and 800 volunteers who work at Whistler Blackcomb.
After graduating with a commerce degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Kirby moved to BC and began to cobble together year-round employment in Whistler – doing a variety of jobs that included cleaning toilets, tour guiding, cooking, landscaping and driving a limousine.
After participating in the activities involved in the merger of Whistler and Blackcomb in 1997, he was hired as the Employment Housing Manager and was responsible for 50 employees and the inventory of some 1,500 beds managed by the resort.
When the Director of Employee Experience position became available, he applied “more for the experience than anything," he says. He was the successful candidate and attributes his promotion to the leadership and fiscal responsibilities he demonstrated as a housing manager. He was also steeped in the company culture and could relate to the average young employee.
Since then, his career has only flourished. Now, at the age of 36, he holds the senior position of president and COO at Panorama Mountain Village (an Intrawest resort located in the Kootenay Rockies). In his current role, Kirby is responsible for all areas of the resort. He likens his new position to that of being a mayor.
Indeed, Panorama Mountain Village comprises the same kind of infrastructure as a small town – and with similar issues and needs. “I’m responsible for overseeing every aspect of the resort’s operations and development,” Kirby explains. “Overall, I have to make sure everyone is happy and that everything is well maintained and managed – it’s a bit like being Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island.”
With the resort’s various industries, sectors and services – including retail, accommodations, food and beverages, fire department and ski patrol – Kirby says his primary challenge is to efficiently manage these competing priorities. “In this job, you have to be very adaptable and able to manage multiple priorities at the same time,” he explains. “You may have a complicated negotiation to manage, then a sewer main blows up that you have to deal with and then you also have the media . . . so you have to be able to cope and manage at all three levels at once.”
As president and COO of Panorama Mountain Village, Kirby is truly responsible for all areas of the resort – everything from infrastructure issues and HR matters to land development, equipment and enhancing the resort experience for guests.
Kirby attributes his success in the industry to a combination of hard work, attitude and opportunity. By working hard and having the right attitude, opportunities will present themselves and “that was the case for me,” he says. He adds that it’s important to work in an organization with great mentors, and with people who believe in developing their staff.
One of the reasons that Kirby has prospered (and “moved on up”) in his career is his genuine affection for the tourism industry. In short, he loves what he does.
“I enjoy the variety that comes with the job everyday – every day, every week is different,” he says. “And I love the essence of what we’re trying to do in this business: enabling people to expand their horizons, while being surrounded by mountains and snow-capped peaks. It’s amazing.”
Similarly, his advice to people considering a career in tourism is to “love what you’re doing . . . love all the great bits about it and the tough pieces.” He says it’s important for people to differentiate themselves by working hard and demonstrating a strong work ethic as well as a positive “can do” attitude.
“You also have to take responsibility for your own development,” he explains, adding that one of the keys to career growth is to be open about advancement, and to ask and seek out opportunities for professional development. “It's not the smartest or the flashiest people who make it in this industry,” he says. “It is the hardest working and the most dedicated.”
