State of Residence: MA

Snowsports School Affiliation:
Wachusett Mountain

Certifications: 
Snowboard Level II

Motivation for Board Service:

I joined PSIA/AASI in 2011, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I truly fell in love with the organization. Serving the board would allow me to give back to the organization and fall more in love with PSIA/AASI. It would also very selfishly allow me a sense of accomplishment – I wish to be a part of an organization I so highly respect and contribute to the organization’s ongoing success and growth.

I see the board’s role as an essential part of ensuring long-term relevance and success within the snowsports industry. Achieved only by providing ongoing access to world-class trainers, clinicians, instructors, mentors, etc. A board seat will ensure oversight of performance by means of monitoring metrics and alignment of activities and mission. Long-term goals and direction involve identifying clear objectives and identifying risks. I also see serving the board as a partnership between the board and upper management which will safeguard a collaborative and effective relationship.

Biography:

In 2009, I started two paths; my professional career in medical imaging clinical trials which I work full time, corporate hours and my professional career within the ski and snowboard industry which I work part-time, mostly on weekends. Over the last 16 years I have found that both careers have experiences that have benefited the other in unexpected ways. Learning styles and the CAP model have changed the way I communicate and present to groups. My clinical trial experience have helped me to develop a new program at my own mountain which included developing a proposal, budget and RACI matrix. Upon obtaining approval and some negotiations internally at the mountain execution was underway which meant working with several siloed departments to pull together a women’s only park event open to the public serving both skiers and riders at a variety of levels.

Relevant Background for Governance Work:

For 16 years, my full-time job is fully driven. I work in clinical trials which is a highly regulated environment, everything from communication, documentation approval, processes, etc. must be in adherence to regulatory guidelines including but limited to the FDA and EMA. I’ve overseen governance programs for large pharmaceutical companies where not only my own company policies need to be followed, but their company’s policies as well. Any differing policies are negotiated at a governance level and documented prior to moving forward. Governance within this industry includes cross-functional input from both companies, scheduling meetings and travel for teams, and documenting meeting outcomes. I’ve also served as a department head for all company proposals, budgets, and marketing while onboarding new hires. This required board updates, presenting key metrics on performance, and leading a global team to achieve targets in varying disciplines.

How Would Your Receive and Consider Member Input:

Members should always feel comfortable sharing input about the PSIA/AASI organization so long as it’s directed via the correct channels. I do believe that holding trust of the board and upper management as well as remaining a supportive board member to members is a sensitive area and must be dealt with diligently.

It is my understanding that PSIA/AASI utilizes the Carver model and I fully agree that the board defines the desired outcomes or impacts for the organization, and the CEO and staff are responsible for the day-to-day operations.

I would respect the members’ input, direct them into the proper channels of feedback/suggestions but I would also inform the CEO and/or staff of the interaction, if needed.

One Aspect of Eastern’s Mission or Ends that is Especially Important:

“Provide opportunities for professional growth” is the most important statement as without it, the industry would not be able to adapt to the interest and focus of the public, which is essential for survival.

Without professional growth, we could consider how straight skis may still be the standard or how snowboard stance may be limiting to one direction. Ongoing professional growth comes down to the knowledge available and keeping up with what the public wants – without it, we would be become irrelevant. Professional growth allows members to improve their performance, stay relevant and embrace change which in the end helps our organization achieve long-term goals and relevance within the industry.

Describe a Board Conduct or One-Voice Experience:

Our mountain has recently undergone a change in the progression of how we teach our “never evers”. I’ve been a long-time trainer for the mountain and the progression changes were implemented via a larger discussion. While I still have reservations and unsure of how effective it will result in returning customers, I jumped on board. We held our Instructor Training Class last fall where the new progression was fully embraced and taught to incoming potential candidates. It required notes on my own progression card. It was also taught again during veteran clinics (returning instructors from prior years). The benefits of the change were communicated; I shared my own card with my notes for the staff and broke out how to teach the new progression in their own lessons.

State of Residence: MA

Snowsports School Affiliation:
Wildcat Resorts (Vail)

Certifications: 
Alpine Level I

Motivation for Board Service:

I am interested in serving on the PSIA-AASI Eastern Region Board because I believe the organization’s mission—to support and advance snowsports educators—ultimately succeeds or fails based on one core outcome: whether more people choose to ski and ride, and whether more of them choose to take lessons repeatedly over time. That outcome is shaped not by day-to-day operations, but by board-level strategy, prioritization, and long-term direction.

Within a Policy Governance framework, I view the Board’s role as setting clear strategic outcomes, defining value for members, safeguarding the organization’s future relevance, and holding management accountable for results—while resisting the temptation to solve problems operationally. My interest in board service is to contribute in three specific, non-overlapping areas where I believe I can add distinctive value.

First, driving demand for lessons by addressing the consumer problem.

We cannot fulfill PSIA-AASI’s mission if there are not enough skiers and riders on the slopes—and not enough choosing lessons. This is not just the job of Icon/Epic and the properties/resorts. My experience as board director, instructor, and executive, including at Wildcat/Attitash, at Forrester Research, and as former CMO at Kawasaki UK, has consistently focused on increasing participation, usage, and lifetime engagement. As a board director at Workers Federal Credit Union, I helped guide a strategy that increased assets by 28% by redefining the value proposition—transforming branches into “private banking for all” through free financial coaching.

I see a direct parallel for PSIA-AASI. The industry already invests heavily in instructor excellence. The larger, more complex challenge that PSIA-AASI has tried to solve is why consumers don’t take lessons, don’t repeat lessons, or never enter the system at all. I believe creating sustained, massive demand for lessons is the most effective way the Board can represent instructors and member schools. More lessons taken is the most tangible form of advocacy for snow pros. I believe my experience and creativity (I have many patents, one which generated 2.3 million new customers and $800M revenue, can help us explore strategies for success.

Second, strengthening board-level strategy to accelerate growth and transformation.

The Eastern Region benefits from deep, long-tenured teaching expertise at the board level—a real strength, not a gap. There is no gap in instructional credibility, training or credentialling. I bring extensive commercial governance experience focused on transformation, growth, research-based insights driving human purchase behavior, and external market dynamics. I bring a complementary perspective rooted in consumer behavior, brand value, and enterprise-level strategy—helping boards move from aspiration to deliberate, outcome-driven direction without diluting their core mission. Market growth dynamics will be even more important in a stressed economy.

Third, applying disciplined governance that drives prioritization and results.

Across nonprofit and for-profit boards, I am known for encouraging only the level of governance required to get results. In a Policy Governance model, that means helping the Board focus on a small number of high-impact priorities, making explicit strategic choices, defining success clearly, and ensuring accountability—rather than expanding agendas or drifting into operations. My board experience ranges to Board Director and Audit Committee Member in the highly regulated banking industry to a small private manufacturer to mission-based non-profits. I qualifying as an Audit Committee Financial Expert under Sarbanes-Oxley Act, NYSE, NASDAQ and Regulation S-K rules, and help with the board’s critical financial oversight.

I am motivated to serve because I believe PSIA-AASI Eastern Region can play a decisive role in growing the entire snowsports ecosystem. By governing for demand creation, long-term relevance, and member value, the Board can materially improve outcomes for instructors, schools, resorts, and the industry as a whole.

Biography:

Babs Ryan brings snowsports, consumer growth strategy, and board governance expertise. She has been PSIA-certified for 10 years, taught at Wildcat/Attitash, and is active in 4 New England ski clubs. She skied extensively in North America, Europe, Chile, Japan.

Babs is former Chief Marketing Officer at Kawasaki UK, increasing sales during 15% market decline. She launched initiatives—such as free lessons—that expanded rider participation and were adopted industry-wide, when she was board member for Motor Cycle Association of Great Britain (now MCIA). She later advised the U.S. Motorcycle Industry Council on its “More Riders, Riding More” strategy.

She served on multiple nonprofit and for-profit boards, including as Board and Audit Committee member of Workers Federal Credit Union ($2.6B), overseeing CEO succession and enterprise transformation. Her background includes senior roles at GE Capital, Citibank UK, PwC, Forrester Research, and Capgemini, in consumer behavior, patented innovation, and governance to drive sustainable growth.

Relevant Background for Governance Work:

BOARD AND GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE

• Board Member, Motor Cycle Association of Great Britain (now MCIA) (former) – Represented and protected riders’ rights at government level. Launched the first national industry advertising and social media campaign in history to attract new riders, trade-ups, and build motorcycle communities.
• Non-Executive Director & Audit Committee Member (former), Workers Federal Credit Union ($2.6B assets, member-owned serving primarily low and middle income families in MA and NH, 110-year history)
  • Qualified Audit Committee Financial Expert.
  • Oversaw CEO succession, internal/external auditor appointments, and technology core conversion.
  • Directed two M&A negotiations and qualified for US$120M U.S. Treasury ECIP funding.
  • Guided shift from teller branches to PlanIt Centers—certified financial coaching hubs—driving deposit and 28% asset growth.

• Strategic Advisor, Kintera AI (current)– AI-driven governance and compliance platform for banks, automating violation remediation and reconciliation and accelerating loan processing from days to seconds. Author of “Should AI be Your Next Board Member?”
• Non-Executive Director & Investment Committee Member, Main Street, Inc. (current) – Multigenerational 50-year family-owned MarTech SaaS and payments business serving banks.
• Advisory Board Director, Aviva Labs, (former) Massachusetts-based manufacturer, packager, distributor and private labeler of organic suntan spray formula doing business in 110 countries.

NON-PROFIT

• Co-Chair, Corporate Board Search Committee and Corporate Salute (The Boston Club / NYSE keynote) (non-profit, former). Led a 20-member committee with five subcommittees. Delivered the largest fundraising outcome in the organization’s 50-year history. Participation by New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Chair Sharon Bowen, Governor of MA, Mayor of Boston. Presenting the Annual Census of Women Directors and Executive Officers of the Top 100 Massachusetts Public Companies
• Chair, 39th Annual Model Congress, 9-Member Board Governed by Robert’s Rules of Order. Responsible for board composition, director effectiveness, and formal decision-making. Leadership cited in the U.S. Congressional Record
• Visiting lecturer at Bentley University, University of Rhode Island, Merrimack College on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Market Research (current
• Mentor for Middle Eastern women entrepreneurs, SEEDS Business Development Center, Country of Jordan (former)
• Golf ambassador, Women on Course (60,000 members), GHIN 23 (current)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, former big sister

EXECUTIVE & OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/babsryan/

• Chief Innovation Officer, GE Capital Card Services (now Synchrony Financial, $100B receivables)
  • Led innovation across credit cards, point-of-sale finance, and retail payments.
  • Filed seven patents; one loyalty innovation generated $800M incremental revenue and $1750M net income.
  • P&L leader for £1B direct-to-consumer subscription business.
• Principal, ThoughtWorks – Agile Tech Strategist, patent and trademark for kids’ sport psychology coaching product on a telehealth platform for the #1 provider of supplemental insurance.
• Chief Marketing Officer, Kawasaki UK – Achieved 65% national market share (500cc+) and sole manufacturer growing sales in a -15% market.
• Head of Consumer, Retail & Hospitality Consulting, Forrester Research – Advised Amazon, Patagonia, Columbia, Marriott, Nike, VF Corp., and Bass Pro Shops.
• Director, PwC, Customer Impact Consulting Division
• Head of Business Development and multiple P&Ls for, Citibank UK – Doubled personal loan volume; reduced bad debt via customer advocacy and unemployment insurance innovation.
• CEO, Direct Marketing Agency (acquired by WPP) – Drove lifestyle brand turnarounds and global go-to-market innovation.
• SVP, Innovation & Business Development, Cambridge Consultants / Capgemini – Led AI, digital twin, and human movement product innovations in global sports, aerospace, energy, pets, and medical devises.
• GVP Digital Transformation, Publicis Groupe / Sapient – Won $30M RFP to replace Adobe with AI-based digital identity platform, improving acquisition 15%.
• Principal, ThoughtWorks – Agile Tech Strategist

SELECTED BOARD RECOGNITION & AFFILIATIONS

• Directors to Watch 2025, Private Company Director
• BoardProspects 100 Exceptional Private Company Board Directors (2025)
• NACD Member
• Private Directors Association Member
• Virtual Advisory Board, Member (1,300 board members in 80 countries)

How Would Your Receive and Consider Member Input:

I’ve reviewed the Board Policy Manual and see that your governance structure is similar to the Carver model of governance that we used on the credit union board I was on– defining high-level direction (“Ends”) and clear delegation to the CEO for implementation. “Noses in, fingers out.”

As a Board member, I believe it is essential to listen carefully and respectfully to member input while remaining disciplined about the Board’s governance role. Members’ questions, ideas, and concerns are a critical source of insight, but they must be considered through the lens of Ends, policy, strategy, and long-term value, not as directives for operational action.

I have seen effective member listening modeled exceptionally well by Kathy Brennan. When she became CEO, her listening tour was impactful not only because she truly listened, but because she synthesized what she heard and shared it transparently. She expanded the organization’s listening channels through town halls and outreach, while maintaining clarity about leadership and accountability. That model reinforces my view that listening is a governance responsibility; deciding what to do with what we hear is a strategic one.

• As a Board member, I would receive member input by:
• Listening for patterns, themes, and systemic issues, rather than individual solutions
• Asking whether member feedback points to a need for clearer Ends, better prioritization, or revised policy. For example, as someone who is on an AI company board and worked in Capgemini’s AI product design division, I often ask if talk about AI is a good use of time, since AI supports/accelerates core strategy, it’s not a strategy or product in itself.
• Ensuring insights are appropriately conveyed to the CEO for operational consideration without bypassing governance boundaries

Importantly, I believe effective governance also requires listening beyond our members—to the people they serve and want to serve. Throughout my career, including as head of consumer, retail, and hospitality research at Forrester Research, I helped boards and executive teams make better strategic decisions by understanding customers and prospects, not just internal stakeholders. Increased demand for services solves many operational challenges; demand is a governance-level outcome.

I have applied this approach in adjacent industries, including strategy work in 2021 for the Motorcycle Industry Council on “More Riders, Riding More,” where I presented customer- and prospect-based research to inform board-level policy and long-term direction for our members. The parallels to PSIA-AASI are clear: growth comes from understanding why people are not participating—or not participating more—and governing accordingly. That’s how membership becomes stronger.

I also stay closely connected to the member ecosystem as a participant, including involvement in four ski clubs. These experiences reinforce that participation models are changing, demographics are shifting, and growth requires listening to both current participants and those who have never engaged—or who have drifted away.

In my governance experience across nonprofit and for-profit boards, I have learned that the best way to honor member input is not to act on everything, but to use what we hear to sharpen focus. Strong boards listen broadly, govern narrowly, and stay disciplined around a few priorities that matter most: growing participation, increasing days on snow, strengthening member value, and ensuring the financial sustainability required to fulfill the mission.

That is how I would receive member input—respectfully, thoughtfully, and always in service of effective governance.

One Aspect of Eastern’s Mission or Ends that is Especially Important:

Growing participation in snowsports—by increasing the number of people who choose to ski, ride, and take lessons.

From a member-value perspective, nothing matters more to instructors and member schools than sustained demand for lessons. The most effective way for the Board to govern toward that End is by ensuring the organization listens not only to members, but to end customers and prospects—understanding why people do or do not take lessons and governing accordingly. When more people are on snow and taking lessons more often, instructors have more opportunity, greater recognition, and a stronger, more sustainable profession. The culture toward skiing with experts is completely different in Europe. I lived in Europe for a decade and like most of my fellow skiers, rarely had a day on snow without an instructor or ski guide.

Describe a Board Conduct or One-Voice Experience:

I’ve been on a number of boards where there is often disagreement. This is a good thing. The worst board member is the one who doesn’t add value and stays silent. The best board members are the ones that asks great questions. After listening to others’ points of view or questions, I often change mine, since they present insights or experiences that are incredibly valuable.

I’ve been through incredibly difficult decisions on boards, some highly contentious. For example, during M&A negotiations, fear of losing a board seat, experience with the acquirer or its competitors, or concern about the amount of work or impact on employees from integration will influence people’s decisions.

The board is an entity, not a group of individuals. Each board member must respect the decisions of the board.

My board experience is that a great Board Chair determines whether there’s cohesive board. Great Board Chairs ensure all board members feel heard and one member isn’t dominating decisions.