2 October 2024 marks an important milestone for the French ski industry, with the election ofAnne Marty as President of Domaines Skiables de France (DSF). The first woman to hold this key position, and a native of the Pyrenees, Anne Marty embodies a vision that is both modern and rooted in the local realities of the mountains. We had the opportunity to speak with her just a few days before her election, during which she shared with us her thoughts, ambitions and vision for the future of the ski industry.
During the interview, Anne Marty spoke passionately about her background, her rural origins in Aveyron, and her deep attachment to the mountain regions, which she wants to see flourish through a sustainable and inclusive economy. She also addressed the major challenges facing the industry in the context of ecological transition and increasing regulation, emphasising the importance of collective commitment and solidarity between the different players in the mountains.
This moment of sharing was an opportunity for Anne Marty to look back on her experience in managing the ski areas of Saint-Lary and Font-Romeu, two emblematic resorts in the Pyrenees, and the lessons she has learned from them for her new position. With unwavering determination, she intends to make this Pyrenean perspective central to her mandate at DSF, while asserting that unity and collaboration will be the watchwords of her presidency.
This exclusive interview, conducted at a pivotal moment in her career, reflects the vision of a deeply committed woman on the ground, who places people and the local economy at the heart of her actions.
Anne Marty, as the new Chairman of Domaines Skiables de France, what are the main challenges you see for the coming years?
Anne Marty: The main challenges I see for the coming years are already there, particularly in relation to the reality of climate change, which is a source of concern for many resorts and their surrounding areas. We’re going to continue working on this issue with a clear focus: preserving the resort economy, which is vital to the region. It is essential to support the economy while helping our members to adopt more virtuous practices, so as to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. Without an economy, there is no life, and that could lead to a massive rural and mountain exodus, which is something we cannot envisage.
The second issue, which is particularly close to my heart, concerns social aspects and health and safety at work. Our results in this area are not up to scratch, despite the many efforts we have made. We are therefore going to step up our commitment to this issue within the industry, by aiming for a significant reduction in accidents and by creating a CSR commission that will have three components: the environment, health and safety at work, and solidarity. Solidarity will also be crucial, as it is directly linked to the challenges posed by climate change. Some resorts are experiencing major difficulties, and we need to support them in a pragmatic and operational way, in particular by offering help to, for example, work on debt rescheduling or by providing technical support in financial management from colleagues in neighbouring resorts who have the staff resources to accompany them for a few days. The aim is to set up a practical and effective solidarity network, so that those who need help can find it quickly and easily.
You proposed a “three-way” candidacy with Alexandre Merlin (Saint-Gervais) and Yves Dimier (Val Cenis). Why did you choose this collaborative approach and what do you intend to bring to DSF together?
Anne Marty: For me, teamwork is essential, and that’s what has always guided me. Anyone who knows me will know that I’m passionate about rugby, a sport where the team always comes first. This candidacy reflects that philosophy. Of course, I will fully embody the presidency and assume all the associated responsibilities, without any compromise.
However, I felt it was essential to show the diversity and richness of the Domaines Skiables de France through this collaborative approach. As a Pyrenean, I bring my own experience, while Alexandre Merlin, who will be deputy chairman, is from Haute-Savoie. This choice allows us to represent different massifs in a balanced and symbolic way, strengthening our representativeness. Yves Dimier, who is from Savoie, is a key figure with recognised expertise in communications and will chair the Communications and Economy Committee.
Together, our mission is clear: to accompany, support and give Domaines Skiables de France the means to evolve and prosper in a collective spirit.
The ecological transition is a key issue for the ski industry. What commitments will you make to continue and strengthen the actions initiated by DSF, particularly in terms of sustainable development?
Anne Marty: In terms of eco-commitments, we have already structured a large number of actions, but there is still a way to go. If we analyse the carbon footprints of ski areas, the most advanced resorts are close to 95% in terms of reducing their carbon footprint, while the smallest are around 75%. The latter sometimes lack the human or technical resources to go further. Here again, solidarity between stations and the support of the DSF teams must play a crucial role. We need to support these small structures so that they too can achieve the objectives of our eco-commitments.
We have already made great strides, particularly on the subject of groomer equipment, but the Environment Commission will have to propose further steps. The biggest challenge remains transporting our customers, which accounts for most of the carbon footprint of ski holidays. Our role will be to work with elected representatives, who are already actively involved in this area, to decarbonise as much as possible, including the last kilometre, as shown by the example of the Saint-Gervais Valléen lift.
What’s more, actions to protect the environment cannot be taken in isolation. It is essential to work across the board with other committees, such as the ski lift committee, and also with our supplier partners, because our suppliers are now fully committed to this transition. My ambition is to extend this collective approach to all mountain players, not just Domaines Skiables de France, in order to make our mountains more virtuous, both environmentally and socially.
As far as the social aspects are concerned, we also need to innovate. For example, working with our partners and local businesses to create year-round jobs shared between the resorts and our suppliers could meet certain needs while making our professions more attractive. We need to explore these avenues collectively with all the players in the mountain ecosystem. Finally, environmental issues, such as health and safety at work, must be addressed in concert with all DSF committees, because they concern us all.
Winter tourism is a major source of employment in mountain areas. What initiatives are you planning to put in place to support the local economy and make mountain-related jobs more attractive?
Anne Marty: We recently responded very quickly to a call for projects launched by Domaines Skiables de France, obtaining funding of 75,000 euros. The aim of the project was to boost the attractiveness of maintenance jobs, which are currently in high demand and difficult to recruit for. We succeeded in obtaining this funding and we are being supported by two specialist firms. One, an ergonomics consultancy, is working on improving working conditions and reducing arduous work, by carrying out studies of workstations. The other, a human resources firm based in Lyon, is focusing on the attractiveness of these professions.
They carried out a number of surveys among our maintenance employees and also based their findings on an internal survey we carried out last year at Domaines Skiables, to which 4,000 employees responded – a significant proportion of the 18,000 employees in our sector. This survey revealed some interesting data, in particular that over 52% of our employees, including 48% of our seasonal workers, own their own home, which is something to be proud of.
We didn’t shy away from any subject in this survey, which was co-constructed with the CGT and Force Ouvrière, in collaboration with the social commission that I chair. We covered topics such as management, pay, social dialogue and working conditions. The results are now in the hands of the HR consultancy, which will provide us with a full assessment of the situation and concrete proposals on which we can build.
Although our project focuses on the maintenance professions, the lessons learned from the survey on subjects such as housing can be applied to other aspects of the attractiveness of the professions.
A number of initiatives are also underway as part of the digital EDEC, carried out by specialist consultancies, which will provide us with solid leads for improving the attractiveness of mountain-related professions. However, these initiatives can only succeed if they are carried out in collaboration with the entire ecosystem, because everything is interconnected.
DFS has often been a key player in lobbying French and European institutions. What are your objectives in terms of relations with political decision-makers to support the ski industry in a rapidly changing regulatory and environmental context?
Anne Marty: The role of the Chairman of Domaines Skiables de France (DSF) is to work closely with all the political players, at all levels, to support the mountain economy, and I fully accept this responsibility. In the short term, it is crucial to strengthen our presence within European institutions, particularly through international bodies such as FIANET, of which DSF is a member, because important projects are being developed at this level. Even if DSF is focused on France, we must also be active in Europe to defend our interests.
At a national level, we enjoy massive support from local elected representatives. The President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, has always been a fervent supporter of the mountains, and we are delighted that Fabrice Pannekoucke has taken over as President of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, as he is also an unconditional supporter of the mountains. I will also be meeting with the presidents of the départements during October and November. I’m looking forward to working with them to support mountain projects, and I know I can count on their commitment.
We are also working closely with the MPs and senators from the mountain regions, who play a key role in defending our interests at national level. Their help is invaluable, as is that of the mayors with whom I’ve already had the opportunity to speak on several occasions, most recently at the ANMSM (Association Nationale des Maires de Station de Montagne) congress. I will also be attending the ANEM congress in mid-October. The commitment of this political ecosystem is essential, and I intend to be very active in promoting our issues at all levels.
Anne Marty, you are the first woman to be appointed President of Domaines Skiables de France, marking a major step forward in a sector that has historically been dominated by men. How do you see this responsibility, and what message would you like to send to women who aspire to leadership roles in the ski industry?
Anne Marty: I think that being the first woman to chair Domaines Skiables de France is a non-issue. For me, the important thing about this election is rather that, for the first time, a mountain range other than the Alps, in this case the Pyrenees, is being given the presidency. This shows that neither gender nor geographical origin is an issue in our profession. It’s true that 70% of our sector is made up of men, and when it comes to the management bodies, we must be reaching 95%, with very few female resort managers. At the moment, only Blandine Tridon, Deputy Managing Director of Labellemontagne, and I are on the steering committee.
This situation is not the result of a desire on the part of resort managers, who are suffering because of the technical nature of their jobs. Nevertheless, there is an important role to play, and I have already taken initiatives in this direction in my company Altiservice. For example, I have trained and supported women in technical occupations on vocational baccalaureate or maintenance diploma courses, in particular by covering their training, travel and accommodation costs, since the training was in Toulouse and their work-study period in the station. Today, these women occupy key positions in the maintenance of our stations and have obtained permanent contracts. I’m very proud of this, and I want to continue to promote this balance.
This is not because I want to promote women at all costs, but because I believe deeply in the importance of gender and social diversity. Balance is essential for the good of our profession. Yes, my election breaks certain codes, because our sector is often associated with a very masculine image. But the members of DSF had the courage to choose a woman, a woman from the Pyrenees, and that shows a real openness and diversity in our mountain ranges and our ways of thinking.
In the end, the real issue is not gender or origin, but what we want to build together for the future of the ski industry. That’s what matters, and that’s what I want to focus all our energy on.
As a native of the Pyrenees who works on a daily basis to manage the Saint-Lary and Font-Romeu ski areas , how do you intend to integrate the Pyrenean perspective into your mandate as President of the DSF? What lessons can you draw from your experience in these resorts to influence national policy on ski areas?
Anne Marty: My experience in the Pyrenees has made me aware of the vital importance of the local economy for rural areas such as those where I was born. Coming from the Aveyron, a deeply rural region, and the daughter of farmers, I’ve always been attached to the land and the values it embodies. When I joined the profession in 2015, after an internal move within the Engie group as HR Director, I felt truly motivated for the first time when I got up every morning.
This new responsibility echoed my origins: the possibility of working to ensure that the children of my employees, as well as the local inhabitants, can continue to live where they grew up, if that is their wish.
Coming from a region like Aveyron, where career opportunities can be scarce, I’ve realised just how essential it is to create local jobs to prevent the rural exodus. My greatest source of pride is that, by the end of my term of office, the local economies of the resorts I manage will be sufficiently consolidated so that the younger generations can choose to stay and live in these areas. That’s what motivates me every day: to help sustain life in these regions through my work in the ski areas.
That’s why I want to promote a collective approach. The most important thing is to work together effectively in the general interest. The challenge is to think together about how to ensure that our mountains continue to thrive and that their inhabitants can benefit from these extraordinary environments while preserving them. Before skiing, the mountains were often a place of poverty. It’s skiing that has brought real wealth and dynamism to these regions. I was in Haute Savoie last week and when I drive through villages like La Clusaz or Saint-Gervais, I am amazed by their beauty. Without the ski economy, these villages would not be what they are today.
I’m aware of the difficulties, particularly when it comes to accommodation for local people, but without skiing, living and working in these areas would be very difficult. We need to keep our heads and not demonise winter tourism, while continuing to improve things, reduce our ecological footprint and support the necessary changes. What I really want is for us all to work together, in the interests of the community and for the good of the mountain dwellers, because it’s in their service that we work.
