Following open recruitment, CMSL’s parent company Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has announced Mark Tate, former chief executive of the Cairngorms Business Partnership, as the new chair. Mark will succeed Peter Mearns who has served in the role for seven years.
The two new directors are former Winter Olympian Lesley McKenna and Mountaineering Scotland snowsports director Alistair Todd.
Each of the appointments is for three years starting from January 2026.
HIE chief executive Stuart Black said: “I am delighted to congratulate Mark on becoming chair of the CMSL board and to welcome Lesley and Alistair to their new roles. I’m greatly looking forward to working with them.
“These appointments will expand board membership and broaden the range of skills and experience that directors provide to ensure the company benefits from effective governance and direction.
“On behalf of HIE, I want to offer our thanks to Peter Mearns, who has served as chair since January 2019 and to director Andy Burgess, who is also standing down after six years.
“Both Peter and Andy have shown great commitment to Cairngorm during a particularly challenging period for the resort and the wider tourism sector. We are grateful for their many valuable contributions and wish them every success in future.”
Mark Tate (pictured) runs his own company supporting businesses in the Highlands and holds a number of non-executive director and trustee positions, including voluntary roles at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust.
Previously Mark spent 20 years with HSBC Bank, including senior leadership positions in Scotland and Kazakhstan. After moving to the Highlands, he led Community Broadband Scotland for HIE before moving on to become CEO of the Cairngorms Business Partnership. He has also been a board member and chair of High Life Highland.
Mark said: “I truly appreciate Cairngorm’s special place in the community and am absolutely delighted to be entrusted as chair of Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd.
“As chair, I want to support the team at CMSL to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the business whilst helping shape a future where Cairngorm continues to inspire visitors, supports our economy, strengthens our communities and enhances nature.
“Cairngorm Mountain is central to the year-round visitor economy in the national park, particularly in Badenoch and Strathspey, as a place that delivers real economic, social and cultural value for the people who live and work here.
“It is vital that we now build a future for a sustainable business that is not reliant on the public purse, while recognising the importance of this national asset and the public good it creates. It is a privilege to contribute to the next chapter in the story of Cairngorm Mountain.”
Lesley McKenna has been a member of Cairngorm Mountain Trust for eight years and is the current chair of the organisation.
Lesley grew up skiing on Cairn Gorm and was the first person from the UK to compete in snowboarding at the Winter Olympics. A competitor in three Winter Olympics, she also led the GB Park and Pipe Team that won three bronze medals in the 2014 and 2018 events.
In addition to 30 years’ competing and coaching in high performance sport, Lesley has a wealth of experience in finance and business management, governance and stakeholder engagement.
Lesley said: “Cairngorm Mountain has played a huge part in both my professional and recreational life.
“The amazing Cairngorm Mountain and wider community had a pivotal role in my personal athletic success and I believe that the same exceptional community can continue to play an important and influential part in the lives of everyone who is able to spend time there.
“I am thrilled to be supporting the team at CMSL to make the most of opportunities for Cairngorm Mountain to make a positive difference in the lives of both locals and visitors.”
Alistair Todd is a widely experienced mountaineer who is the current snowsports director on the board of Mountaineering Scotland and chair of the Snowsports Touring Advisory Group. He is also a past president of the Inverness Backcountry Snowsports Club.
Alistair has over 30 years of customer-facing experience in retail, commercial and operational roles – much of it gained while managing a subsidiary of a well-known energy company – as well as extensive health and safety knowledge.
Alistair said: “Located on the sixth highest mountain in the UK, Cairngorm Mountain is a resort that has been enjoyed for decades by both local residents and visitors from the central belt and much further afield.
“My vision is that the business continues to develop a range of appropriate year-round activities, attractions and facilities that recognise and reflect its unique location, with snowsports very much remaining at its heart."
In public ownership through HIE, Cairngorm Mountain is a nationally significant environmental and tourism destination, attracting tens of thousands of visitors every year.
The resort currently offers a range of year-round outdoor experiences from skiing and snowboarding to environmental ranger services, mountain carting, adventure play, tubing slides, and family-friendly mountain biking.
A key attraction is Scotland’s only funicular railway, which provides a regular service on the mountain, offering stunning views and access to the upper slopes for snowsports and guided walks as well as dining, shopping and an exhibition in the Ptarmigan building.
The board plays a vital role in setting the strategic direction of the operating company, ensuring strong governance, and overseeing operational performance.
The full CMSL board membership from 1 January 2026 will comprise Mark Tate (Chair), Jaci Douglas, Tim Hurst, Bill Lobban, Inglis Lyon, Lesley McKenna and Alistair Todd. A representative of HIE also attends board meetings as an observer.
