Burke Mountain Resort of East Burke, Vermont announces the appointment of Rick Thorpe as Sales Director to the on-mountain Burke Mountain Resort Hotel. Thorpe brings more than two decades of proven leadership in sales, marketing, and revenue strategy within the hospitality and mountain resort industries.
Thorpe joins Burke Mountain Resort Hotel with an extensive background in driving top-line revenue growth for luxury hotels, boutique properties, and large-scale resort portfolios. Most recently, he served with Pyramid Hotel Group as the senior sales and revenue leader at the award-winning Hanover Inn at Dartmouth College, where he oversaw all revenue streams for the 108-room, four-star boutique hotel, as well as meeting and dining operations. During his tenure, he consistently increased revenues across all profit centers through innovative revenue strategies, digital marketing optimization, and integrated CRM and revenue management solutions.
“Rick’s depth of experience in both destination resorts and high-performing hospitality venues makes him a great addition to our team,” said Jon Schaefer, Chief Operating Officer at Bear Den Partners, owner of Burke Mountain. “His strategic approach to sales and group business development will be integral as we continue to grow Burke Mountain as a premier year-round destination.”
Previously, Thorpe held the role of Area Director of Sales & Marketing with Charlestowne Hotels, where he led revenue strategy for two lifestyle boutique hotels in Colorado, significantly increasing catering and group revenues while expanding year-round corporate and association business.
Thorpe is also well known in the ski industry, having served as Vice President of Sales for Peak Resorts, where he was responsible for driving organization-wide revenue growth across 18 ski resorts and five hotels throughout the Northeast and Midwest. His leadership resulted in double-digit revenue growth across lodging, catering, and ancillary business lines, along with the successful implementation of standardized sales best practices and CRM systems companywide. Earlier in his career, he spent eight years as Director of Sales at Mount Snow Resort, where he successfully expanded group sales, banquet revenues, and ancillary business performance.
In his position at Burke Mountain Resort Hotel, Thorpe leads all sales efforts, with a focus on group business, meetings and events, leisure and corporate travel, and strategic partnerships to strengthen the resort’s market presence and revenue performance.
Thorpe holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Vermont.
ABOUT BURKE MOUNTAIN
Located in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Burke Mountain Resort is an independent, four-season destination, anchored by the Burke Mountain Hotel, featuring 116 all-suite rooms with ski-in/ski-out convenience. Burke delivers 178 acres of world-class skiing and riding in the winter, and lift-served mountain biking and hiking in the summer. Burke’s bike park is adjacent to Burke’s world-renowned Kingdom Trails network, a mecca for mountain bikers. Year-round, Burke hosts events and activities that reflect the culture and community of Vermont: down-to-earth, uncorporate, and driven by the spirit of the mountain and the people who ride it. For more information, visit SkiBurke.com or follow on all major social platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
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Vermont Business Magazine