VRWS Leadership Interview of the Day
In approaching the 12th edition of the Vacation Rental World Summit, we’re releasing a series of interviews to leaders, key players and highly motivated people in our industry whose companies make a deep impact in our space and will be present at VRWS.
The aim is to get you some insight into these leaders and the company they founded, manage or work for, as well as getting some behind the scenes on their thinking, their motivation and their drive.
SALLY HENRY
- What inspired you to enter the vacation rental industry?
I worked for a media company and Holiday Cottages Group (pre, pre name for some of the Awaze brand families) were a client. I used to look through the brochures (it was 25 years ago) and also go on family cottage breaks so I loved the product. They asked if I’d be interested in working for them as their business development manager and I jumped at the opportunity to join the business. I knew it would give me the chance to work with an amazing product and get a deep understanding of the business and sure enough, I’m still in the industry 25 years later!
- What sets your company apart in the vacation rental industry, and how do you ensure you stay ahead of the competition?
For Key Data it’s all about the data quality, business intelligence tools and the partnerships we build with our clients and within the industry. We integrate directly with Property Management Systems and large Property Managers to ingest daily reservation data. We also scrape Airbnb and vrbo on a daily basis and we train the two data sets together to get the most accurate view of data available. Property Managers connected to us get access to the Key Data Dashboard so they can make data driven decisions on their own performance in addition to understanding how they are performing versus the rest of the market in the benchmarking section of the dashboard. We support our clients with 1:1 partner success support and continue to make enhancements to our product every single day. We believe accurate data should underpin every business decision.
- If you attended the 2024 Vacation Rental World Summit in Porto, what was the most exciting or valuable takeaway for you? And looking ahead to the 2025 edition in Rome, what are you hoping to gain or experience this time?
I attended VRWS in Porto and loved the round table sessions. It gave me the opportunity to really hear what Property Managers are focused on and the connections made around the table were so valuable. There was a genuine feeling of collaboration around the room and I took many learnings back to the business. As ever it was the personal connections made which makes VRWS so special.
- Beyond business, what’s one experience or destination that left a lasting impression on you, and why?
Every year I stay in a small seaside town called Filey on the North Yorkshire Coast. It has fabulous beaches but is generally cold and windy with parts a little run down. But I have been every year since I was born. A huge family of grandparents, cousins, aunties and uncles would descend with challenges of cricket matches on the beach, sandcastle building and ice cream eating contests. I now take my children and nephews, nieces and grandparents plus dogs, and the same chaos ensues. And each time we stay in a cottage (often different places) – the common theme being a huge bunch of family together in a short term rental (with amazing sea views). Special times and a tradition I hope will continue..
- What’s one fun fact, hidden talent, or little-known secret about you that other attendees should know to spark a great conversation with you?
I used to play rugby and started 3 women’s rugby teams in my youth. But chat about any sport with me 🙂
You’ll have the opportunity to meet Sally directly at VRWS in Rome
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