Tiger Shaw: carving out a ski and snowboard pipeline.

• Author: Baumeister, Pam

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), a privately funded national organization in Park City, is responsible for half of the world's Olympic Winter Games and the preparation of hundreds of top-notch athletes who represent the United States. Tiger Shaw. former Olympian, entrepreneur, international businessman and long-time supporter of USSA, took the helm of the organization as president and CEO in March 2014.

What life skills did you gain as an athlete that have helped you as a business leader?

Perseverance with micro goals to build a successful outcome. Part of that is loving the process--whatever it is--to achieve the outcome. You won't become a ski racer or snowboarder if you don't love the practice. We all know athletes who try to take shortcuts or don't practice much or think they're gifted. Being gifted is a requirement, but commitment is an absolute necessity.

How does your work as an entrepreneur outside the sports world help the USSA?

I raised money to start a company, which parlays well into raising money for the philanthropy and development foundation at USSA. Starting a company and selling a product to people who had no idea what it was ... and then sales at Global Rescue, the company I was most recently at, helped me create worldwide strategic partnerships and clients, which is also helpful because we represent an international sport.

The USSA's goal of becoming the best in the world in both skiing and snowboarding was achieved in 2010 at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver when 21 medals were won. Where will you take USSA next?

"Best in the world" is quite true in some sports and some disciplines, and quite untrue in other sports and disciplines. The immediate goals...