SPI Software Selects Steven Schmidt CFO
SPI Software, the leading provider of management-oriented software systems and solutions for timeshare resort developers and operators, has recently announced the selection of SPI alumni and software technology veteran Steven Schmidt to the position of Chief Financial Officer. He previously served in the same position with SPI for almost 16 years from 2004 to 2019.
We are delighted that Steven has returned,” said Gordon McClendon, CEO of SPI Software. “During his previous tenure with us, Steven was a highly valued and respected employee. With the addition of his new responsibilities for expanding our marketing reach – in addition to guiding the financial aspects of the company – we anticipate he will take us to an even higher level of growth.”
As CFO, Schmidt will focus on the management of SPI’s financial forecasting and analysis, accounting, budgeting, future growth projects and how they impact the bottom line. He will also guide in the forecasting of staffing needs. Schmidt will establish performance metrics, monitor work in progress and guide operating expenses, negotiate with critical vendors, and contractual billing issues.
Working with Cynthia Hernandez, SPI’s Marketing Assistant, and Lou Wolfson, SPI’s Sales Manager, Schmidt will help generate sales leads for resort software clients and assist in the delivery of marketing campaigns.
Added Steven Schmidt, “I returned to SPI Software because I always had a great working relationship with Gordon McClendon and respected him as a phenomenal entrepreneur. He has a unique ability to work with customers within all levels of resort and industry leadership. Moving forward, we will focus on strengthening our marketing and sales efforts. We believe the industry’s recent consolidation provides a huge opportunity for SPI to introduce our software programs like Docusign and texting deliver invoices and collect funds to HOAs and Legacy resorts, making us perfectly positioned to capture this market.”
A graduate of Ursinos College in Collegeville, PA, Schmidt has over two decades of experience in accounting and controller positions for several other companies, 16 of those years with SPI Software.
Added McClendon, “Steven’s expertise in serving the hospitality industry complex, combined with his passion for marketing our services solidify our ongoing commitment to the resort industry.”
“SPI is such a complete system with so much functionality, any company that touches the timeshare industry would benefit from reaching out to us to learn how we can help them,” shared Schmidt. “As we become involved with a resort, we envision the entire picture and how departments mesh, often knowing more about the property’s total operation than each of the individual departments. This enables us to determine where the challenges exist and provide the unique perspective to determine how SPI systems can help not just one department, but the total resort … all aspects of the guest communications journey. SPI Software recently became the first vacation ownership-focused application software provider worldwide to fully incorporate WhatsApp™ into its systems, paving the way for international travelers to send messages to guests via text from any mobile device, analyze data, and conduct conversations, providing an additional benefit to our resorts and their guests. Embracing SPI’s Software systems enables savvy resort managers to leverage technology to alleviate labor challenges, increase staff productivity and increase customer satisfaction.”
Since the company’s formation in 1978, SPI Software has remained the primary supplier of vacation ownership properties by providing world-class software solutions and exceptional customer service. Their survival for 44 years in the hospitality technology market is indicative of their flexibility to adapt to constant changes in software advancements as well as the personnel requirements hospitality customers face today.
To learn more about software solutions created exclusively for the vacation ownership industry, please visit www.spisoftware.com or contact Lou Wolfson at 305-519-84297 or via email at lou.wolfson@spiinc.com.
About SPI Software
SPI Software is the leading software developer of management-oriented systems to the worldwide market of vacation ownership resort developers. Their corporate philosophy of continuous development and innovation has led them to create the most advanced vacation ownership-focused technology in the world. Developed as state-of-the-art business application software, SPI’s technology is available to the industry as an enterprise system or through individual modules which may be deployed via cloud or on-premises.
