Massachusetts resident and investment banker Phill Gross has been named a trustee of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, according to USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt.
MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENT and investment banker Phill Gross has been named a trustee of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, according to USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt.
    Gross is the co-founder and managing director of Adage Capital Management L.P., which manages around $12 billion in assets primarily for endowment and foundation clients. Gross has worked for Adage and its predecessor, the Select Equity Group at the Harvard Management Company, since 1983. He was named a partner in 1986 before founding Adage in 2001.
    "Phill has real passion as a fan of our sports and brings an impressive business background to our organization," said Marolt. "He has been a vital part of our growing Boston support team and I look forward to his added contribution as a trustee."
    Gross graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in science and economics and a M.S. in investments, and sits on several boards at the school. In 2006 he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
 Marolt said one of Gross' initiatives as a trustee will be to encourage broader participation in sport. He has long played a key role with local youth groups including Youth Enrichment Services (yeskids.org), a Boston-based agency that engages urban kids in outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and skiing.
    "One of my initiatives as a trustee will be to encourage broader participation in sport using the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association [USSA] as a catalyst," Gross said. "Our elite athletes are tremendous role models and can help to expose more kids to skiing and snowboarding."
    Gross also helped form a partnership with the Boston Ski Party, which has introduced tens of thousands of African-American youth to the enjoyment of winter sports. Gross lives in Concord, Mass., with his wife Liz and their four children. They have a ski home in Killington, where his children are involved in the alpine racing program.