Vail Resorts, Inc. appointed Iris Knobloch to the company’s Board of Directors.
Knobloch is the president of the Cannes Film Festival, appointed in July 2022. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Lazard, Inc., chairperson of the Board of Directors of Deezer SA, and vice chairperson and lead independent director of Accor Hotels.
Originally from Munich, Germany, Knobloch resides in Paris, France. She is trilingual in German, French and English and a lawyer with degrees from Ludwig-Maximilians Universität in Munich and New York University.
She started her career practicing law in Munich, New York and Los Angeles and went on to have a 25-year career in various leadership roles at WarnerMedia, including 15 years as CEO of Warner Bros. France and Benelux and, most recently, as CEO of WarnerMedia France, Benelux, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
After leaving WarnerMedia in July 2021, she co-founded I2PO, the first European Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) dedicated to the entertainment and leisure industry.
“We are thrilled to have Iris join our board,” said Kirsten Lynch, CEO of Vail Resorts. “Iris has had an incredible career in Europe and the United States and adds extensive global experience to our board of directors, which will be critical for us as our company expands internationally.”
In November 2023, Vail Resorts agreed to acquire Crans-Montana Mountain Resort in Switzerland, the company’s second European investment, following its 2022 acquisition of a majority stake in Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG, also located in Switzerland.
“I am pleased to join the Vail Resorts board of directors as the company embarks on a journey to expand internationally,” said Knobloch. “As both a business leader and an avid skier, I am looking forward to leveraging my expertise in supporting the company’s strategy to build an integrated network of resorts across the world that enhances the guest experience and creates stability for the ski industry.”
Knobloch previously held board positions at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Central European Media Enterprises, Ltd. and Axel Springer SE, a German multinational media company.
Knobloch is Vail Resorts’ eleventh board member, joining Sue Decker, Rob Katz, Kirsten Lynch, Nadia Rawlinson, John Redmond, Michele Romanow, Hilary Schneider, Bruce Sewell, John Sorte, and Peter Vaughn.
Images courtesy Crans-Montana Mountain Resort/Iris Knobloch
