JACQUES HEBERT BIO
Jacques Of Hearts
Jacques Hebert loves to ski. He loves his family. He loves to crunch numbers. Most of all, he loves Jay Peak. It’s a combination of these loves that has taken him from the boardroom of KPMG Auditing to the founder of one of the largest resort operating companies in
North America. He still skis several times a week in the winter. Sees most members of his family on a daily basis. And still makes decisions based on the effect they’ll have on the current and future operations of his company. Jacques is the president and CEO of Mount Saint-Sauveur International - the parent company of Jay Peak Resort for the past 25 years.
JP: What is it about Jay Peak that first piqued your interest 25 years ago?
JH: At the time we became interested in Jay Peak, we only owned Mount Saint-Sauveur. We had done quite a bit of work there, introducing night skiing, snowmaking and advanced lifts to the industry. What we didn’t have was vertical.
JP: And with then owner Weyerhauser wanting to get out of the resort business, you saw an opportunity at Jay?
JH: Well, yes and no. I had been skiing at Jay Peak for years with my family. I had always loved the place. Between growing Mount Saint-Sauveur and working full time at KPMG Auditing, it was tough to find much free time. But I always made time for my family and I always made time for skiing. The vertical at Jay Peak, and the ability to get into the destination vacation business is what really appealed to us though.
JP: So what were your first moves after purchasing Jay?
JH: Well, I always thought that the original configuration of the Jet T-Bar was wrong. I wanted to replace it with a chair that would give better, more consistent access to the great terrain on Stateside. So we put in the Triple Chair. (And, incidentally, named it after the archived T-Bar)
JP: With your focus on destination vacation markets and your limited experience marketing to those segments, what gave you the confidence that you’d be successful?
JH: To be honest, I’ve always loved Jay. It’s always been my baby. I knew that by putting that love ahead of everything else that things would eventually work out. And of course, there was Bill Stenger. I heard him speak at a National Ski Areas meeting and was both impressed and convinced that he was the guy to take Jay Peak forward.
JP: I’ve seen him in his Buffalo robe, so I agree with you here 100%
JH: Well that’s part of it. We make a good team. He’s the best front-of-house guy in the business. I prefer to stay behind the scenes but I’ve always had a vision for Jay and Bill understands and supports that. We wouldn’t be where we are now without his leadership.
JP: Given the energy surrounding many of the current Jay Peak projects – namely beginning construction on the championship 18-hole golf course and new Village townhouses and condominiums – what do you see 5 and 10 years out for Jay Peak?
JH: Well, more of the same. We will be growing, but we’ll be doing so responsibly. Bringing in more summer and four-season opportunities. Expanding into the West Bowl area. Expanding our facilities. We have a well-thought out plan for the entire area and a logical timetable to complete it all.
JP: By logical, you mean you don’t feel the need to do everything at once?
JH: Exactly. We’ll be aggressive with our plans, but not so aggressive as to put expansion in front of what matters most – the love of the mountains and the area. This region has a tremendous amount of upside with the natural beauty and all of the natural snow we get. We feel obligated to make sure those natural attributes remain intact and unspoiled.
JP: So where can we find you, now, during the winter?
JH: I still live only a few miles from Jay, so I’m out skiing as often as I can. I love the Vermonter trail. I’m not as fast as I used to be, but I still love it.
