Goar replaces Pete Sonntag, who is leaving Tahoe to become the new Whistler Blackcomb chief operating officer, replacing Dave Brownlie who decided in May to step down from the role.

“I am incredibly thankful to the outstanding team at Keystone whom I’ve had the honor to work with for the past two years,” said Goar. “While I will very much miss the resort, and especially the employees who make it so great, I am excited and looking forward to the opportunity to work with the talented teams at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood.”

Goar has more than 40 years of resort industry experience. He started out in ski patrol and grooming at Sunrise Park Resort, Ariz., and spent 27 years at Solitude Resort, Utah. Goar has been with VR since the company acquired Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah, in 2013. He served as Canyons’ general manager from 2007 to 2015, directing $37 million in on-mountain capital improvements, including new lifts, snowmaking, restaurants and ski terrain.

“We’re fortunate to have incredibly talented leaders at our resorts, like Pete and Mike, who are choosing to once again elevate their careers and pursue these new exciting opportunities across our network of world class resorts,” said Pat Campbell, the company’s mountain division president. “With Mike’s extensive experience in both winter and summer operations and his proven track record with guest service and community commitment, I am confident that he will continue to re-imagine our Tahoe resorts’ operations and our guest and employee experiences.”

The search to fill Goar’s chief operating officer position in Keystone will begin immediately.