Chief Executive Officer | Whakapapa

Whakapapa is entering a new chapter.

We have a clear strategy to 2031, an extraordinary mountain and asset base, a committed team and an ambition to build Whakapapa into a thriving year-round destination delivering three distinct experiences across three seasons.

Now we are looking for the Chief Executive who can bring it all together.

Our next CEO will lead the delivery of that strategic direction, working with the Board and leadership team to build a financially strong, resilient, guest-focused and sustainable business – strengthening our core winter experience while deliberately growing the opportunities that exist across summer and the shoulder seasons.

They will do this as a steward of Whakapapa, making decisions with the long-term interests of the maunga, our people, relationships, assets and future in mind.

The opportunity

Our 2031 Strategy is built around three distinct guest experiences

Core Skiing - an outstanding upper-mountain experience for committed skiers and riders.

Happy Valley - Snowland - a deliberately designed family, beginner and snowplay experience.

The Mountain Experience - sightseeing, hospitality and premium experiences connecting people with the nature, culture and drama of Whakapapa.

The opportunity is to turn those experiences into a strong year-round business: growing revenue, strengthening the guest experience, developing our people, making disciplined investment choices and building the operational and organisational capability required for the future. Financial strength and resilience matter because they give Whakapapa the ability to navigate seasonal variability, reinvest in its people, assets and experiences, and build for the long-term future.

The leader we’re looking for

This is not a role for someone who needs to personally run every part of the mountain. We have capable specialist leaders across the business. We are looking for an enterprise leader who can create clarity, bring people together and hold the whole organisation accountable for delivery.

Enterprise leadership - you set direction, make the hard calls and enable capable people to lead.

Commercial and growth capability - you understand how a business earns, grows and builds sustainable financial performance.

Culture and leadership - you build trust, develop people and create alignment across teams.

Guest first - you naturally start with who the guest is and the experience we are trying to create.

Stewardship and connection to place - you understand that leading Whakapapa carries responsibility beyond the current season or financial year. You build authentic relationships with iwi, community, staff, owners, investors, partners and stakeholders and make decisions with the long-term interests of Whakapapa in mind.

* Passion for the mountain - you bring an authentic connection to skiing, the outdoors or alpine experiences. Ski-industry experience is an advantage, not a requirement.

You are likely to bring substantial senior leadership experience, meaningful P&L responsibility and evidence of leading through growth, transformation or complexity.

This is a place-based leadership role Whakapapa cannot be led from a corporate office somewhere else. Our CEO needs to be visible – with our people, on the maunga, within our communities, with iwi and with our partners.

The successful candidate will need to be based in the Central North Island region and genuinely become part of the community.

Whakapapa Whānau

Whakapapa is more than a ski area. Our people turn an extraordinary and sometimes challenging alpine environment into a place where guests feel welcome and create memories that last.

Our mission is Making Magic Every Day, underpinned by Manaakitanga – For People, Kaitiakitanga – For Place, and Kotahitanga – Together as One.

Whakapapa is a maunga before it is a business. We are not owners of this place; we are caretakers. Our responsibility is to honour that through how we lead, how we partner, how we operate and the experiences we create — and to leave Whakapapa stronger for those who come after us.

The next chapter

This is an opportunity to lead a business with history, complexity, extraordinary assets and significant untapped potential.

This is both a stewardship and a growth role. We are looking for someone who wants to build — while understanding the responsibility that comes with leading Whakapapa.

Someone commercially ambitious but grounded in place. Someone who can bring people with them, strengthen the capability underneath the business and make good long-term decisions. And someone who wants to help make Whakapapa one of the great year-round mountain experiences in Aotearoa, while protecting what makes it special.

How to apply

Please include your CV and a short covering letter outlining what attracts you to this chapter of Whakapapa and the experience you would bring to leading it.

Applications close 9am Friday 30th October 2026.

Want to know more? We recognise that considering a Chief Executive opportunity can start with a conversation.

For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Rachael Whiteman Senior Talent Partner – Onside Recruitment on 04 488 0341 or email [email protected].

We welcome applications from candidates who have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.