30 Best CEOs of the Year 2020 30 Best CEOs of the Year 2020 | Page 55

We felt this was an unaddressed
space that was being overlooked by
existing reservation platforms. Since
then, we have invested significantly
in a robust call centre operation
staffed by experienced travel
concierges while expanding the ease
of use of our online booking service.
A well-defined mission and
vision is the secret behind
the success of many firms.
What is your company’s
M&V statement?
At its core, we are focused on
“bringing the human touch back
to the world of online travel.”
That means not only continually
investing in a service mindset, but
also investing in the ease of use
and convenience of our website so
that we can meet our customers
wherever they may be.
‘It is difficult to start a
venture. But far more
difficult to maintain it.’ What
were the biggest hurdles did
you face initially to build
your business and how did
you overcome them?
There are different mindsets and
skills that are crucial to success in
an early-stage venture. Once you’ve
mastered those, they become less
important to continued success as
the company is then at a point
where new skills are required to
build and grow. The biggest
hurdle in starting any business is
investment/available funds to get
things off the ground. Given my
partner and I had deep expertise in
search engine marketing strategies,
we were able skip the fundraising
step when starting Reservations.com.
We have still never raised any money
from third parties. We’ve focused on
maintaining positive ROI in every
business decision we have made,
affording us the luxury of being
profitable and independent.
What was your journey like
to get where you are?
Professionally, I would say it has
been the multiple businesses I have
successfully started and exited.
Personally, it has been my ability
to retain a semblance of work-life
balance, particularly as my career
has matured. Finally, I’m proud of
the fact that I have remained true to
myself over the years.
What would you say are the
top three skills needed to be
a successful CEO? What other
CEOs do you look up to?
Vision, execution, and decisiveness
are the top three skills needed in my
opinion. Though I must say, there
are a variety of different skills that
a CEO could possess that can lead to
success. There are almost too many
to name.
It’s tough to pick a single CEO as
there are so many great ones out
there that you can learn from in
different ways. If I had to pick a few
specifically, I would say, Steve Jobs
and Walt Disney for their vision and
marketing/design expertise and
Henry Ford for his excellence
in driving process.
What do you think are the
most memorable moments in
your career?
I think I’ve found the most joy out
of two things. First, empowering
and helping others both personally
or professionally. The second has
been continuing my education at
Harvard Business School, which was
a fantastic experience from start to
finish.
If you had one piece of advice
to someone just starting out,
what would it be?
Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy.
There is no straightforward path
to success. You have to work
incredibly hard. In the early days,
you never get time away and there
are many sacrifices that come with
the commitment. It’s incredibly
important that you surround
yourself with smart and driven
individuals that can challenge
you and help propel the company
forward.
On a personal note, I think it’s
incredibly important to always
remain true to yourself. This rings
true in both your personal and
business life.
What do you enjoy doing in
your free leisure time?
I love travelling and photography.
I’ve also found great fulfilment in
getting involved in building and
helping local philanthropic and arts/
culture organizations. When I’m no
longer a day-to-day CEO, I expect to
become more involved in these areas. SR
“There is no straight forward path to success. You have to
work incredibly hard. You never get a day off and there are
many sacrifices that come with the commitment.”
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