After Nearly a Decade, Alta Ski Area Names New General Manager
After nearly a decade, Alta Ski Area, Utah, will have a new general manager: David P. Hirasawa.
On October 19, Hirasawa will succeed Michael Maughan, who ran the ski area for nine years as general manager and, before that, worked as the CFO since 1990. Hirasawa will be the fifth general manager at Alta.
Most recently, Hirasawa worked for Boyne Resorts, the multi-mountain group that owns ski areas like Big Sky, Montana; the Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington; and Sunday River, Maine.
Alta Ski Area/Photo-John
With Boyne, he served in a senior management role working across multiple mountains. Before that, Hirasawa spent nine years at Grand America Hotels & Resorts in accounting, resort operations, financial planning, risk management, and information technology. Grand America owns several hotels and Sun Valley Resort, Idaho, and Snowbasin Resort, Utah.
Hirasawa’s experience in the ski industry also includes leadership roles at Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, Colorado; Canyons Resort, Utah; Talisker Mountain, Utah; and American Skiing Company.
He attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a degree in Economics with concentrations in Finance and Management and a minor in Environmental Studies. Before pivoting to outdoor and hospitality, Hirasawa spent part of his early career working in investment banking in New York.
The Alta Hiring Committee said in a release that Hirasawa brings an “exceptional combination of ski industry experience, business leadership, and an understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the ski industry.”
Throughout the Committee’s search, they said they looked for a leader who “understands and honors what makes Alta unique.”
“We believe Dave is the right person to carry those values forward while helping sustain Alta into the future,” the Committee said.
Hirasawa will work alongside Maughan to ensure a smooth transition ahead of the 2026-27 season, the release said, adding that Alta’s employees were grateful for Maughan and wished him a “stellar retirement.”
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