Katarina Koljonen

Katarina is an internationally experienced ski coach, FNASI Demo Team member and qualified Ski Instructor Trainer with a background spanning five countries. Originally from Finland, Kat is no stranger to Team Hotham, having served as Operations Manager for the 2025 season before being appointed Sports Director for 2026 — the first woman to hold the role in 37 years.

Kat holds a Master of Science (Technology) from Aalto University and brings a rare combination of elite racing pedigree, formal science and engineering education, and hands on coaching and program management experience at every level of the athlete pathway.

Kat is not new to Team Hotham, having served as Operations Manager in season 2025 and, as part of our succession planning, has been promoted to Sports Director. Kat background:
• Racing: Former Alpine ski racer competing in FIS events internationally from 2014 to 2016, including national championship competitions in Finland. Multiple regional race winner and three-time club champion at GrIFK-Alpine.
• Demo Team: Member of the Finnish National Association of Snowsport Instructors (FNASI) Demo Team since 2024.
• Instructor Trainer: Ski Instructor Trainer for FNASI since 2022.
• Qualifications: ISIA Level 3 Ski, ISIA Level 1 Snowboard, Avalanche Skills Course 2, NZ Certificate in Alpine Resort Operations.
• Coaching: Junior Head Coach at Cardrona Alpine Resort (Wanaka Ski Team) across multiple seasons, race coach and ski school manager in Finland, technical coach internationally, and instructor in Japan, New Zealand and the USA.
• Education: Master of Science (Technology) from Aalto University, Finland — School of Electrical Engineering, specialising in Biosensing and Bioelectronics. Bachelor of Science (Technology) in Bioinformation Technology, also from Aalto.

The combination of elite racing pedigree, international coaching experience across five countries, formal science and engineering education, and FNASI Demo Team membership is rare.

Kat brings both the technical depth and the operational understanding of how Team Hotham works from the inside.