VRWS Leadership Interview of the Day
In approaching the 11th 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.
OLIVER STERN
- What do you do for a living and which part of your job do you enjoy the most?
I am the Director of Sales for Europe & ANZ at Wheelhouse. While I focus most on sales & business development, I help with partnerships, marketing, and account management as well. My favorite part of my job is definitely planning and attending conferences! The European STR community is collaborative, engaging, and full of good friends.
- How does your company innovate or adapt to the evolving needs of the vacation rental space?
Wheelhouse recently pivoted from positioning itself as a Revenue Management Software, to a Revenue & Growth Platform. This reflects our dedication to the evolving needs of the vacation rental space. If software is meant to solve a problem, then it can only be said that revenue management is a rather limited description for what is ultimately a revenue & growth function. While revenue management will always be a top focus for us, revenue & growth includes owner acquisition & retention, underwriting, marketing & distribution, and other such functionalities that Wheelhouse is now building to help “solve” as well.
- How do you view the various predictions about AI’s impact on society, ranging from dystopian scenarios to transformative advancements, and how does your company approach or integrate AI technology?
With AI, I take a centrist perspective. Dystopian predictions are an understandable fear but often undermine the pragmatism needed to guide the course of AI in society. On the pro-AI side with “effective accelerationism,” I think people are a little too emphatic about societal benefits when the subtext is also a vast capitalistic opportunity for the few. Wheelhouse is deeply fascinated by AI, having leveraged machine learning for years, and we continue to scope opportunities while waiting for an inflection point when Gen AI will be powerful enough to integrate into Wheelhouse. It can be said that whether or not we are a first mover, we build best-in-class products, so watch this space!
- What would you like to achieve by attending the Vacation Rental World Summit 2024 in Porto with your company?
Wheelhouse is beginning to gain brand recognition across Europe as we are adopted by more of the largest operators, and integrate with more leading PMSs. We would like to achieve increased brand awareness and new sales & partnership opportunities of course, but actually this is all led by building trusting relationships. Our intent is to engage the VRWS community both socially and professionally, and to let that lead our continued expansion into European markets. Please stop by our booth to say hello!
- What are your passions, including any hobbies or sports, that you enjoy discussing and sharing with others outside the professional setting?
Fun question! First, I am a massive football fan. And yes, I mean fútbol! I’m an ardent supporter of Liverpool Football Club and got to see them beat Brighton at Anfield this spring. I follow many of the top Euro leagues closely, as well cup and international competitions. I am also an avid sauna enthusiast, being a member of a sauna village, and a frequent disc golfer (have you ever heard of that?!). I would delight in hearing about your own local sauna/thermaculture traditions, or have a football chat anytime. Cheers!
You’ll have the opportunity to meet Oliver directly at VRWS in Porto
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