Bob Ford joins Vail Valley Foundation as CFO
VAIL — The Vail Valley Foundation has announced that Bob Ford has taken the role of new chief financial officer for the Avon-based nonprofit, which is in its 34th year of fulfilling its mission to enhance and sustain the spirit of the Vail Valley by providing leadership in athletic, cultural and educational endeavors.
“The Vail Valley Foundation’s brand of excellence comes from the quality of those who work here, and Bob is a great new addition to this strong team,” said Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation. “Bob brings a wealth of experience to the position, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.”
Ford has 30-plus years of experience in finance, accounting, strategy, operations and M&A work in several different fields. Ford came to the Vail Valley Foundation from SDR Ventures, a boutique Denver-based investment banking firm. Prior to joining SDR Ventures, Ford spent 10 years building, running and ultimately selling a wholesale distribution company of aftermarket automotive products, equipment and services; a company that he grew from $350,000 in revenue to $7.5 million.
“It’s an honor to be working with an organization that has been a part of making the Vail Valley such a special place to live, and I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my career,” Ford said. “My family and I are very happy to be here, and we look forward to taking part in everything the valley has to offer.”
About Ford
Ford’s finance roots are with US WEST/MediaOne and his deal-making career culminated in London at MediaOne International, where he negotiated the sale of a package of Eastern European Wireless Assets to Deutsche Telekom for $2 billion and co-managed the sale of One2One, the UK PCS venture for 8.4 billion pounds. Ford served on the boards of directors of A2000, the Dutch cable and telephone business, and Cable Lyonnaise, the French cable business.
Ford and his wife Becky now make their home in Edwards and have two daughters. He and his family are in the process of winding down their Egyptian Arabian horse farm in Missouri, where they spent many years raising and breeding the highly-prized animals. Ford also enjoys golfing and cycling, and said he is looking forward to making Colorado his full-time home once again.