Recently, timeshare industry headlines have been grabbed by news of even more consolidation among the biggest developers. The increased scale they achieve through these mergers allows them to leverage larger owner bases and more resort locations. That’s great for them, but what about legacy resorts who want to maintain their independence and close relationships with owner communities?
That’s where Vacatia’s newest venture, Vacatia Partner Services, comes in. VPS is dedicated to the success and growth of legacy resorts and their vibrant owner communities. To make this promise a reality, VPS has assembled an all-star team of experienced resort industry executives who understand the past, present and future of the vacation ownership industry and can offer products and services that drive owner engagement, attract new member and even finance needed property renovations.
“Legacy resorts are facing big challenges, and part of that is they have fallen behind some of the technological shifts and innovations to launch new revenue programs that have been part of what has set the major players apart,” says Caroline Shin, Vacatia’s CEO and co-founder. “My goal is to help more legacy resorts embrace a fresh approach and apply creative solutions, which is why our team is led by timeshare executives with a proven track record of success.”
Before founding Vacatia in 2013, Shin had her own successful track record, having built companies that embrace technology to deliver a stellar customer experience. Past positions include being the lead website architect on the startup team at Hotwire, leading global CRM and revenue management functions at Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and launching a new technology platform for flight management as senior VP at Sentient Jet, where she oversaw client services and command center operations. Shin also co-founded Store Vantage, a SaaS scheduling and CRM system for service businesses, was a technology and strategy consultant at Accenture and Scient, working with Fortune 500 and startup clients. All that, and she earned a degree in Nuclear Engineering from MIT. She gives back to the industry through volunteering on the ARDA Research Committee and the AIF Strategic Planning Task Force.
The Vacation Partner Services team includes:
Grant Miller, Head of Growth, is a recognized expert in the creation of new business ventures addressing unique needs in the travel, timeshare and financial services industries. In 2008, he joined Fidelity National Financial as executive director of Chicago Title’s National Resort Division, where he was responsible for the corporate and strategic direction for national operations, business development, marketing and client relations. His resume also includes serving as president of Membership Clubs at Affinity Group, a leading player in the campground and leisure industry. While there, Miller created new and improved membership experiences by bringing a points-based, online, real-time reservation system to the private membership camping sector that directly led to significant membership growth and profitability. He furthermore led the growth of three other membership clubs in the outdoor recreation, golf and camping sectors to over one million active members.
Miller entered the industry when he joined RCI, where he spent 11 years, beginning in resort services and ultimately serving as VP of Global Business Marketing. He earned a BS in Communications and Business Administration from Butler University.
Greg Eure, Head of Development, has more than two decades of experience driving organizations, products and business development that intersect hospitality, vacation ownership and technology.He served as a senior strategic advisor to Forbes Travel Guide and was the president of Quintess, a luxury international Destination Club with operations in 50+ destinations across 11 countries, and Time & Place, a global villa rental company. During his tenure, Quintess experienced a significant financial turnaround, and Time and Place was recognized by Travel + Leisure as a top global villa rental company.
Eure also entered the industry through RCI, where he served as VP of Business and Product Development, and over his 10-year stint, was responsible for the design, development, testing, and launch of new products and business models for the organization, as well as assisting Group RCI hospitality clients in development of customized hospitality offerings. He was instrumental in the launch of RCI’s loyalty platforms and alternative shared-use real estate models, consulted on product and service development, and served in senior leadership positions in information technology with Resort Computer Corporation. He graduated from Virginia Tech’s Hotel Management School.
Michelle DuChamp, Head of Membership Products and Partnerships, is a former VP of business development for Interval International, which she joined in 2004. There, she oversaw Interval’s business development initiatives in the U.S. West, Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic, and Canada. Her responsibilities there included providing innovative marketing solutions that enhance the value of vacation ownership and overseeing oversees the company’s custom club and third-party member programs, as well as Preferred Residences®, a worldwide hospitality-branding program for luxury shared ownership resorts and private residences clubs.
A Registered Resort Professional, DuChamp is actively involved with ARDA and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. She holds a BS degree in business administration from Texas A&M University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
All four of these VPS professionals are ready to leverage these impressive resumes to ensure the success of legacy resorts. The wide array of products and services VPS offers on an a la carte basis provide just the help they are looking for. “With VPS, legacy resorts have an exciting opportunity to go from lagging to leading-edge, while still maintaining a level of independence that makes them beloved by their owner community,” Shin says. “Our team understands the challenges they face and is here to help.”
Ready to learn more? Connect with Vacatia Partner Services here or call us at (720) 449-6738!