Sophie Goldschmidt was announced last week as the next President & CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, ushering in a new era for the sport’s national governing body ahead of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.  

Based on her credentials, the message from the board is simple: The next chapter for U.S. Ski & Snowboard will focus on revenue, commercialization, and growing the brand. Goldschmidt, who replaces the outgoing Tiger Shaw on Oct. 18, brings a wealth of experience to the job having worked in commercialization and marketing for some of the most well-known organizations in sports. Most recently, she served as CEO of the World Surf League, leaving after less than three years but touting a series of accomplishments, such as improved business capabilities, implementation of equal prize money for men and women, and improved linear and digital distribution. Her full resume and career accomplishments were outlined in a U.S. Ski & Snowboard press release. 

Absent from her resume is any professional experience in skiing or snowboarding. It will be the first time since the mid-90s that the organization has been led by such an individual. Mike Jacki and Tim Leiweke — who preceded former ski racer and coach Bill Marolt — came over from USA Gymnastics and the Denver Nuggets, respectively. In the case of Leiweke, he did enact a number of positive changes, establishing an effective business model for the organization that carried forward. Nevertheless, both leaders had relatively short tenures before moving onto other opportunities, and the Ski Team returned to its roots with Marolt, who remained in place until 2014.

A British citizen with a long-term visa to work in the United States, Goldschmidt lays out a bold agenda for the organization and brand. Her goal of elevating competitive skiing and snowboarding in the United States to reach a more mainstream audience is nothing new — but her approach may be. 

In our conversation, she also appears keenly aware of the grassroots responsibilities that are equally or arguably more important than promotion at the top. It’s all part of what she refers to as a “virtuous circle,” in which increased participation and viewership drive revenue that can ultimately trickle back down to the grassroots through various support programs and initiatives.

How exactly are we going to get there? Goldschmidt is short on details, at least vocally at this point. She’s planning instead to take an appropriate amount of time to get to know the organization, the industry, and the community. She’ll absorb the upcoming Olympic season without rocking the boat — a wise decision, most would agree — and in the spring, she’s expected to chart a new course.

Ski Racing: What attracted you to US Ski & Snowboard? What are the strengths of the organization and areas that need improvement?

Goldschmidt: So many things attracted me to this role. I’m an avid skier. It’s my favorite thing to do in my free time, so that’s really important to me. But as importantly, professionally, I thought it was the perfect challenge at the right time for me. I feel there is a significant opportunity to build on what has already been established, and I look at that very holistically. Really important at the grassroots level, increasing the number of participants and how we engage with fans. … 

I look at it as a very virtuous circle. The more participants and fans we can engage with via our clubs and other programs at the grassroots level ultimately brings more strength to the pipeline and the development side of the sport, which ultimately should lead to even more success at the elite level.

I think that further engagement of broadening the base and providing the right support ultimately leads to more commercial interest, as well, from brands and donors and others. Ultimately we need to continue to get more revenue coming into the organization so that we can invest back into the key areas that we oversee and support. 

For me, the objectives are quite parallel from the grassroots and the performance of these sports — and from the more commercial, revenue-generating and marketing sides of the organization. And I see a significant opportunity to take it to the next level. 

I think another area for me where I see an opportunity is to grow the profile of alpine in particular, but quite frankly of all the snowsports. Alpine is such an amazing sport. You look at what these superhuman athletes are doing, and I think now you can bring that to life so well through different broadcast media, social media, etc. For any kind of casual sports fan, you can’t help but be interested in what these athletes are doing. …

Another vital area that you can never get complacent around … is on the performance side — working right down from the bottom of the funnel all the way up to the top — to see how we can build innovation and create the right high-performance environment to ultimately bring more talent into the sport. … 

I have a lot to learn. I’m coming in eyes wide open. I have some very relevant experience having seen a lot in all sorts of different sports. I was a competitive tennis player myself … so I’m very familiar and know how important the grassroots side of the sport is, and then transfer that more into success at the elite levels.

SR: What do you hope to accomplish in the first 100 days, which incidentally takes you to the end of January, just prior to the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. What do you hope to get done between now and then? 

Goldschmidt: I want to be a sponge. I want to do a lot of listening. Spending quality time with all the different stakeholders at the grassroots club level, with the parents, the next generation of skiers, right up through the organization with our other stakeholders, the athletes, obviously the staff, our business partners. The great thing about these sports is we have so much support from across the community, and I want to listen. I want to hear not only the internal perspective but the external perspective. … So really immersing myself in all aspects of the sport and the organization is really important as I then look to develop the next stage of key strategic priorities for the next stage of growth. 

In addition to that, we also have the Beijing Olympics just around the corner. I feel really fortunate to be able to go through that process and be able to shadow everything, be really supportive with any tweaks and minor changes we can make and put us in the best place to be successful in February. But I don’t want to disrupt the planning that is happening, which is already complex enough with all the Covid challenges. …

SR: So, if there were to be any major restructuring or anything like that, we would likely see that after this coming season? 

Goldschmidt: Correct. 

SR: You touched on this in your first response, but I think the elephant in the room is that you are a newcomer to snowsports. Past CEOs who didn’t have previous experience in snowsports, Mike Jacki and Tim Leiweke (in the mid-90s), had very short tenures. We’re hoping you’re in the job for much longer. Could you talk about how you plan to integrate and manage the idiosyncrasies of the snowsports world as a newcomer? 

Goldschmidt: I feel it could be — will be — a real advantage. I am very passionate about snowsports. I’m an incredibly hard worker and love to learn, and I’m a very curious person, which to be honest was one of the things that really appealed to me about the job. 

I’ve been in these situations. I’ve worked with a number of different sports in various capacities, but I also like to be out of my comfort zone and learning new things. When I feel that I have the opportunity to get both in a role, that’s when the magic can happen and that’s when I thrive. 

I think the fact that I’ve worked with a number of different sports, both at the grassroots level, up to the elite level with some of the best athletes in the world — I’ve also been, if I could put it this way, an outsider more than a few times. I never played basketball. I never played rugby. I surfed a little bit, but was not nearly as avid a surfer as I am a skier. 

In all those instances, I think it was a real benefit coming in with a fresh perspective but with enough relevant knowledge to go about the task and know who to speak with and how to handle the decision making processes, and ultimately create the right environment to take success to the next level. 

But I think the fact that I’m not coming with any baggage or preconceived ideas, no political ties, I’ve actually always found can be a real benefit. In many ways, people are willing to give you more of a chance because they know you’re coming in with a clear perspective. …

SR: I think what the board is signaling with this hire is revenue. That’s going to be your real strength. But as the NGB, it’s equally as important to manage the sport at the grassroots level. How do you see yourself fulfilling your role as the caretaker of the competitive skiing and snowboarding in the U.S., and what specifically can the NGB do at the grassroots level to strengthen the sport? 

Goldschmidt: Again, like I said, I think one very much complements the other. You need a vibrant, growing grassroots system and network, I think, to deliver the ultimate commercial success. Having commercial success and the revenue allows you to give back at the grassroots level. For me, I need to prioritize both of them. They are both incredibly important. 

We need to make sure we have the right teams and leadership managing it day to day. And we’re setting the right KPIs and holding people accountable and responsible. 

Too soon for me to say specifics about what I’m going to do. I don’t think that would be appropriate, but when I look at my priorities and how I want to spend my time, the grassroots side of the sport is as important as anything. I look forward to getting to know the key folks, spending time with the different clubs. Within my first 100 days, I’ll be going to visit some of our clubs and meeting with folks who are dealing, day in and day out, with that aspect of the sport. 

SR: More specifically at the grassroots level, one of the biggest issues facing alpine, all of the snowsports, but certainly alpine, is the cost of the sport. At Ski Racing, we actually did a big series over the summer on the cost of alpine ski racing. I’m curious how much that’s on your radar, what can be done at the grassroots level to make the sport more accessible to more people, and what specifically can the NGB do to work with clubs to make it more affordable for families? 

Goldschmidt: It’s a great question and you’re right, it is one of the challenges of alpine. It is expensive. … It ties into the general diversity points, which has obviously become as important as ever, both gender-wise — and clearly we do pretty well on the women’s elite side — and other diversity in terms of race and a broader perspective. I think that goes hand in hand with the cost side of it. 

It’s definitely something I’m very cognizant of. I think it needs to be a bigger part of our overall mission. Inclusion, more broadly, is something we already take seriously, but I want to see how we can improve in that area. I’m answering the question a little more broadly, but it does land in that key priority area. 

Without sounding like a broken record, I think it does come down to generating more revenue. When we can subsidize programs and put different initiatives in place to maybe carry some of that burden of that cost and support, whether it’s clubs or other programs, I think that’s a great way to make it more accessible. 

We are a charitable organization. We are a 501c3, so we are there to invest back into the various sports. … Specifically, it’s too early for me to say what we’re going to do in this area, but it is definitely something that is very important to me. 

SR: In terms of managing athletics, are you planning on hiring a VP of athletics or a chief of sport, as there have been in the past, and if so, what qualifications and responsibilities can we expect of him or her? 

Goldschmidt: Too early to say, to be honest. I’m going to be spending a lot of time with the heads of the various sports early on in my tenure to get to know them, really understand the challenges and opportunities where we have the potential for some quick wins and improvements. … Once I’ve gotten through assessment, in addition to understanding the great capability we already have on board, I can look at structure. I think it’s one step at a time. 

SR: What is your perspective on inclusive versus exclusive national teams? In other words: smaller, more elite national teams (e.g. Bill Marolt) versus a broader, more inclusive national team structure (e.g. Swiss Ski)? 

Goldschmidt: Without sitting on the fence, I think it’s somewhere in between. At the end of the day, we do have limited resources, but given the strength of the organization and the improving pipeline in most areas. Within reason, we want to give as many of our top athletes a chance to compete and perform and win at the highest levels. 

There are tough decisions you have to make, but at the end of the day, I want to be really thoughtful about how we set those criteria. Hopefully as our performance levels continue to improve and we get stronger and stronger pipelines, then if we’ve got more athletes competing and pushing each other, having a chance to dominate on the world stage, I think that’s good for everyone. 

But for any leader, how you’re spending your time and allocating funds, it’s as important as it gets. I need to fully assess that once I’ve had more time to get to know the organization and all of our priorities even better, and then we’ll make those decisions in due course. 

But I think it’s definitely important that we’re inclusive to a certain extent, but in parallel, we need to make sure we’re putting resources into the right areas.

SR: Ski racing takes place mostly in Europe at the World Cup level. That creates all kinds of issues, and it has been a historical disadvantage for the Americans over the course of many years. What expertise do you have in that dynamic, and what can U.S. Ski & Snowboard do to help athletes who have an away game pretty much every time they compete? 

Goldschmidt: It’s not easy. It makes it hard to compete when you’re not in front of a home crowd but also being on the road for that long. There are some amazing resorts and events over there … but I would love to see more events back in the U.S. 

In fact, one of the first conversations I had when I was offered this role was with (FIS President) Johan Eliasch. We have a few mutual connections from his HEAD ownership because he obviously has done a lot in tennis as well. I think that’s hopefully helpful; we’re coming in with some established connections. He was very positive right out of the gate about how important the U.S. is and how he’d love to see more events in this market. We need to make sure they’re economically viable. There’s been some challenges around that … but it was music to my ears to hear he’d like to bring more events to the U.S. 

But we have to be realistic. They’re still going to be competing a significant amount of time overseas. So we need to make sure we’ve put the right resources in place to make sure they’re as comfortable as possible. That’s important, too. 

Hopefully we can do a bit of both. …

SR: What does success look like in Beijing? 

Goldschmidt: It’s a good question. Look, there’s so much uncertainty with Covid and all the preparation. It’s making sure we have the athletes healthy, vaccinated, in the best condition they can be to get over there. That’s easier said than done this time around. Training schedules have gone out the window, and the teams are doing an amazing job to evolve, being really flexible to make sure we have the best preparation we can have. …

As far as specifics, I’m going to be digging into that with the various sport heads over the next few weeks based on what athletes we expect to be healthy and how that’s going to play out over the next few months. 

But we’re going to be ambitious. We want to do as well or better than we have in the past. I think we’ve got some great medal contenders. … I’m excited to dig in on those more specific goals. …

SR: Can you comment on the state of the alpine program specifically?

Goldschmidt: Again, I think just coming on, it’s too early for me to comment on specifics, but I am encouraged by what I’ve seen, by some of the progressive thinking. I think we need to keep raising our game and be as open minded as ever about learning what’s working for others within alpine, but also within other sports. 

But I think the pipeline looks great. Some of the success I’ve seen from the younger competitors is really encouraging, and clearly we’ve got some inspirational athletes leading the way. … I think the future looks really bright and I’m looking forward to spending more time with Jesse (Hunt) and the others to understand what more we can be doing. …

SR: How do you see the role of NCAA and other collegiate programs as a pipeline to the national team? The relationship between the two, we’re told, is improving, but there are a lot of people who think NCAA has been underutilized, that kids have had to make a choice between taking a national team path or an NCAA path. As we’ve seen with athletes like Paula Moltzan and Erik Arvidsson, who’s now back on the national team, it can be a very useful pathway into the World Cup level. So what do you see as the role of NCAA in working closely with the NGB?

Goldschmidt: I think the college system is a great pathway and an added resource for the organization to benefit from. I can speak firsthand having been a college athlete and experiencing that environment. … Tennis is obviously very different from alpine and snowsports, but I think there are some similarities in the infrastructure and support colleges can provide. 

There are many different ways to get to the top of the mountain. There is no linear straight line to success. Look at the athletes we have, they all come from quite different backgrounds. Yes, there are some similarities, but I think embracing the different pathways and figuring out the right structure and support system is what it’s all about. 

I think (NCAA and collegiate programs) are a valuable part of our structure, and I’d love to figure out a way where we can support them and vice versa, so we can have flexibility both ways to ultimately give the resources and support to these athletes.

These colleges are often investing significant amounts in training and performance programs to help these athletes get to the next level, and I think that could be really beneficial to this organization. I’m very open minded about that. … We can’t give everyone everything that they want. But I think the college system is a very important part of our network and structure, and I’d like to see us working even more closely together.  

SR: How about climate change? This is obviously an issue that is a little outside your direct purview, but as an industry leader in snowsports, which could be threatened in the long run, how concerned are you about climate change, and is there anything U.S. Ski & Snowboard can do to help? 

Goldschmidt: I’m very concerned. I definitely believe in it. Our purpose and brand when I was working in surfing was the environment in general. In surfing, the ocean was our playground. In snowsports, the mountains and the outdoors are our playground. 

Obviously, the situation is not very positive. From everyone that I’ve spoken to, the community really does care about the environment. I think it can be and needs to be more front and center, what we stand for as an organization and how we use our resources creatively, whether it’s our social channels or our media platform, or just the audience we can reach to communicate messages. 

I don’t think we need to be creating new climate change organizations per se internally, but how can we channel our resources to support the great work that’s already happening and to amplify the issues? Highlight for people where they can go to support and really get better educated, how they can help turn the tide because there are things we can do to slow it down and in some cases reverse it. 

But obviously the environment is critical to everything that we are doing, and I’d like for us to be even more proactive with the greater initiatives that are in place and make it more front and center in what we’re communicating. 

SR: In terms of long-term goals, imagine yourself in the spring of 2030. We’ve just finished the 2030 Olympic Games. What are you hoping to accomplish? What does the perfect tenure look like eight-and-a-half years from now? What changes are you hoping to bring about during that time?

Goldschmidt: Eight years from now … I definitely hope I’m still in the role. We hopefully will have just finished the most successful Winter Olympics in U.S Ski & Snowboard history. To be determined where that might be — they could be in the U.S. And I’ll be working hard to make that happen. As we talked about earlier, home-field advantage really does matter. I would love to see another home win for the Olympics in 2030. 

But regardless of that, I will expect that we will have had the most successful Olympics for this organization. I see the potential to take our levels of performance to a new level, and within eight years, I think we can achieve amazing things across all of the different snowsports. 

In order to achieve that, I think we’ll be at record levels of commercial revenue, but from our commercial partners and also from our amazing donors and stakeholders that invest and support us so much. …

I also feel, in 2030, I think it would be very reasonable for the profile of our athletes and their sports to be on another level. I would want us to have at least a handful of household names that are covered, for sure, during the main season but also year round. … If all that is happening, then I expect us to have more participants than ever before at the grassroots level, and for us to be engaging with them more directly. … I would like to have a direct relationship with (our participants), to be communicating with them, to be engaged with them, to be able to share content about training, about how our athletes are doing, about how they can give back and support our environmental initiatives.

That will make the organization more successful and more valuable, which leads to more commercial investment and makes the whole virtuous circle work. And the cycle will continue to improve. If I look back in eight-plus years, I would love to see us in that position across all those areas, and I think that’s very achievable. 

In addition to having a brand and an organization that is truly world class and leading across all snowsports NGBs, but also across summer sports in the U.S., I would love us to be the poster child for how NGBs operate and perform, to be an organization and a culture that people aspire to be associated with. That’s what excites me, and that’s why I took this job.