SiteMinder appoints new chief technology & data officers

SiteMinder has announced new leadership appointments, with Mike Rogers stepping into the role of Chief Data Officer and Tomas Varsavsky joining as Chief Technology Officer.

Mike Rogers, a co-founder of SiteMinder, transitions from his previous role as Chief Technology Officer to Chief Data Officer. Rogers has a long history with the company, having pioneered the development of a Software-as-a-Service-based distribution platform for hotels in 2006. The platform has since been widely adopted, used by more than 47,000 hotels across over 150 countries and processing in excess of 125 million online reservations each year. In his new capacity, Rogers will be responsible for advancing the company's global data strategy and enhancing its data science capabilities.

Tomas Varsavsky takes on the position of Chief Technology Officer, bringing over 25 years of experience in technology. His previous roles include a ten-year tenure at REA Group, where he was Chief Technology and Data Officer. Varsavsky's past experience also extends to companies such as Catch, ThoughtWorks, LonelyPlanet, Insignia, ANZ, National Australia Bank, Cbus Super, and Sensis & Ericsson. As CTO of SiteMinder, Varsavsky will focus on strengthening and scaling SiteMinder's engineering team to continue delivering its products.

The appointments occur as SiteMinder aims to transform its technology stack into a 'Smart Platform', integrating intelligence and automation capabilities to assist the hotel industry. The company has a mission to make advanced revenue management accessible to hotels worldwide amidst evolving complexities in the travel sector.

Sankar Narayan, CEO and Managing Director at SiteMinder, commented on the new appointments, "Mike and Tom's appointments are a direct response to the convergence we are seeing in technology and data. Ultimately, we know that, today, the most powerful technology in the world, including AI and machine learning, is built off vast amounts of data – which have underpinned SiteMinder's success to date."

He further stated, "Mike and Tom will bring our data engineering and tech teams more closely together, to unlock the potential of using one of our most unique and significant assets – our data, the breadth and depth of which is unmatched in our industry. Importantly, they will open new opportunities for innovation and efficiency for hoteliers who lack the time and expertise to drive these capabilities, themselves."