Nevis Range Mountain Experience, Lochaber, is delighted to announce that their managing director, Chris O’Brien, has been shortlisted for the Business Leader of the Year at the 2022 Highland Business Awards!
The Nevis Range management team believes that the role of a Business Leader in the area is to champion the Scottish Highlands as a global tourism hub that sits among the most desirable locations in the world to visit. They should also have a real passion for developing the tourism industry in the region and shaping its future through their passion and commitment to the tourism trade. Chris O’Brien fits this description perfectly.
In his role as Managing Director of Nevis Range, Chris oversees all business operations from large partnership opportunities with global brands to day-to-day customer-oriented matters. He was previously Destination Manager for The Outdoor Capital of the UK. In this position, Chris built on the already strong reputation of Fort William and Lochaber as a highland tourism hotspot and developed the destination’s tourism-dependent industry in a way that benefitted visitors and local stakeholders alike. This was done by developing high-impact marketing campaigns and strategies in partnership with VisitScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and local businesses.
Chris O’Brien has developed inspiring relationships with influential people across the board from local business people and influential figures in Scottish government and tourism management. These relationships allow Chris to champion the Highlands as a tourism gem and ensure the people of Lochaber and the wider Highlands have their voices heard by those who can enact change.
Chris also firmly believes in managing a business that is fair in all its practices, that is why Nevis Range is a living wage employer regardless of age. Nevis Range is also proud to be a fair work employer. Fair work is work that offers all individuals in an organisation an effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfillment and respect. It balances the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers. Following the Fair Work framework generates benefits for individuals, organisations, and society overall.
Chris’s work at Nevis Range, The Outdoor Capital, Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, Highland Tourism CIC, and beyond has shown him to be a leader with a deep interest in developing Highland Tourism and supporting positive change throughout the industry.
Chris O’Brien, Managing Director, Nevis Range, said: “It’s a true honour to be nominated for this award! I can’t thank my team enough for the tremendous effort that they have put in during these incredibly challenging times! The pandemic presented us with an opportunity to change, and my team grasped the chance with both hands. In this last two years we have become carbon neutral, journeying towards net zero by the end of 2023, built a hotel and completely transformed the business, we will host the MTB World Championships in August next year and will continue to grow and adapt to whatever new circumstances the world throws at us! The way that Nevis Range will achieve this is through a sustained strategy of team building and innovation!
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Nevis Range Website – http://www.nevisrange.co.uk/
Nevis Range on Twitter – https://twitter.com/TheNevisRange
Nevis Range on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/nevisrange/
Nevis Range on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NevisRange/
Chris O’Brien is Managing Director of Nevis Range, and Director at both Highland Tourism CIC, and Lochaber Chamber of Commerce.
https://www.lochaberchamber.co.uk
The Nevis Range Mountain Experience lies 7 miles north of Fort William, and south of Spean Bridge.
It was opened in 1989 to develop a skiing/tourism facility on the mountain of Aonach Mor in the shadow of Ben Nevis. The development was undertaken due to a demand for skiing in Scotland that was inadequately served by existing facilities.
Nevis Range Mountain Experience is a year-round mountain resort comprising:
- All-year-round mountain gondola visitor attraction
- Winter snowsports area with equipment hire and Snowsports School.
- All-year-round mountain biking with 48km of cross-country mountain biking as well as downhill mountain bike trails with gondola access. Home to a round of the Mountain Bike World Cup
- Self-service Snowgoose restaurant & bar (gondola top station) and Pinemarten café bar (gondola base station) serving locally served produce prepared on site.
- Mountain walks to scenic viewpoints
- Forest walks
- Gift shop
The Nevis Range Mountain Gondola, unique in Britain, was originally constructed to transport skiers and snowboarders to the slopes. Today, the gondola whisks some 200,000 visitors each year to 650m where they can eat at the Snowgoose restaurant, walk out to the mountain viewpoints, or simply enjoy the stunning highland scenery. The gondola is also widely used by hillwalkers, climbers, paragliders, and hang gliders on their journey to the clouds. There are 74 Gondolas in total and each one takes up to 6 adults.
Nevis Range has significantly diversified, creating a world-class downhill mountain bike track together with a series of world-renowned cross-country mountain bike trails in the Leanachan Forest. As a result, the venue has hosted UK and international mountain bike events including several award-winning rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup since 2002 and a UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2007.
