Top Team Member Keeyon Upkins Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Keeyon Upkins is a Manager in the Financial Services Group of Holiday Inn Club Vacations (HICV). In his current position since June 2017, he supervises a team of three, with plans for additional members. He previously served as Senior Accountant within the group.
Because Holiday Inn Club Vacations has grown significantly over the past few years – doubling its size through strategic acquisitions – Keeyon’s team has quickly learned how to deal with dynamic and fluid situations as they consider how to capitalize on the opportunities and conquer the challenges that seem to arise on a daily basis. This growth has also caused them to laser focus on the efficiency of their procedures and practices.
As the Senior Accountant at the time responsible for timeshare inventory, he worked with Legal, Tax and Silverleaf’s (the acquired company) accounting team to understand the newly acquired inventory and develop meticulous tracking of over 3,100 timeshare units converted from Silverleaf’s legacy system. Each interest had to be tracked to facilitate accurate tax reporting. The acquisition involved intricate tax considerations and increased reporting requirements with company lenders. Tax considerations required inventory movement between entities to be strictly monitored and documented.
One of his main responsibilities is to oversee the accounting of capital projects using accounting resources that can help. This includes all fixed assets and inventory projects. From a financial statement standpoint, this represents a significant percentage of all company assets. He has also been charged with developing a team that uses data and analytics to support the decisions of the company’s CFO and other members of the executive leadership team. In addition to working with various teams with the Financial Services Group, his role requires him to interact with several other groups within the company. Keeping track of their finances can be difficult for any business, luckily there are accounting firms in nyc who can assist with this. Alternatively, they could seek out accounting firms overseas that may be able to support them with their accounting needs. For example, some exploring accounting options could reach as far as this Accounting firm Melbourne company.
According to one supervisor, one of his greatest contributions to his company’s success has been in the area of innovation and growth. Keeyon created a model by resort and price points, taking into consideration available inventory, sales and cancellation trends and future development opportunities. The model enables HICV to visualize inventory levels, assess potential shortages and plan for future development to fuel sales growth. Keeyon is respected for his contagious positive attitude and seems to turn every obstacle into an achievement.
In describing his job, Keeyon adds, “From our CEO down, working with the people at Holiday Inn Club Vacations is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. We have great amounts of energy, personality, and drive. I also love our devotion to the surrounding community. We support Give Kids the World which provides weeklong, cost-free vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families and participate in their various charitable activities. We also assist through volunteering and supplying food and donations to other nonprofits in the Central Florida area.”
From an accounting/finance perspective, Keeyon says that the timeshare industry is unique because it touches multiple operations. “As we build resorts, we participate in the construction industry. As we sell timeshares, we participate in the financing industry. As owners and guest stay on property and visit our stores, we participate in the hospitality and retail industry. It’s exciting to know that our work crosses over into all these other business arenas.”
Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Keeyon worked with one of the Big 4 global accounting firms in Orlando prior to joining HICV where his main clients were in the timeshare industry. He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Florida A&M University is a Certified Public Accountant and was named ARDA’s top Finance/Accounting Team Member in 2017. He has been recognized internally with scores of awards as a star performer. Married with three children and another due in April, Keeyon serves as an associate pastor at Proclamation Church in Orlando.
