Pursuit ($PRSU) CEO David Barry: From Ski Instructor to Public Company CEO

David Barry, President & CEO of Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality (NYSE: PRSU), an attractions and hospitality company with 17 iconic destinations across the US, Canada, Iceland, and Costa Rica that has 4x in size over the past decade. David joined Pursuit in 2015 with no formal business education, having worked his way up from ski instructor to heli ski operations to PE-backed CEO – teaching himself finance from Fortune magazines he pulled from a colleague's trash. He breaks down the leadership philosophy, capital allocation strategy, and investor communication approach behind Pursuit's transformation from a buried conglomerate subsidiary to a standalone public company. Chapters: 1:20 – What is Pursuit and how does the business work 2:33 – State of the company when David joined in 2015 4:32 – Building core values and a mission for a global workforce 6:59 – How the name "Pursuit" came to be 9:53 – Running a public company: fiduciaries, shareholders, and the hospitality profit chain 11:42 – David's career path: ski instructor to public company CEO 17:42 – Separating from Viad Corp and rebranding 22:16 – Becoming a standalone public company and ringing the NYSE bell 24:07 – How David approaches investor communication 26:23 – Where investors misunderstand the Pursuit story 29:36 – Four levers of growth and taking investors on property tours 35:55 – How David tracks stocks 37:05 – Leaders and companies David draws inspiration from 41:07 – Non-financial KPIs: NPS, team engagement, and developing future leaders -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🔗 Follow Marketopolis Main Site - https://www.marketopolis.com/ LinkedIn –   / marketopolis   Twitter/X – https://x.com/marketopolis_ 🎧 Marketopolis ◼️ Listen on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2zg0uDh... ◼️ Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... $PRSU 💡 Sponsors / Partners Presented by Einride Visit https://www.einride.tech/ 🎧 This episode was recorded on May 28, 2026 Reach Out Email: [email protected] Disclaimers: The content shared on this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Farsight Group Holdings, Inc, Marketopolis, the hosts and the guests are not licensed financial advisors. Listeners should conduct their own research and consult with qualified professionals before making any financial decisions or investments. The views expressed are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Farsight Group Holdings Inc or its affiliates. This podcast may include paid endorsements or sponsorships.