Vacatia Hires David McDonald as Vice President of Partner Services

Vacatia Inc., the fastest-growing management company in the vacation ownership industry, has announced the hiring of David McDonald as vice president of partner services.

In his business development role with Vacatia, McDonald will create new growth opportunities for Vacatia, while helping to improve the viability of the company’s independent timeshare resort partners. During his 22 years with RCI, McDonald first worked in revenue management before transitioning to business development. The breadth of his experience with the leading exchange provider gave him a unique perspective.

“Having that finance background gave me a leg up over a lot of people in similar business development roles,” McDonald said. “I would look at a project holistically and understand how they make money and where the pain points were.”

That insight also gave McDonald an advantage when Michelle DuChamp, Vacatia’s head of partner services, was recruiting for the position.

“David and I have similar backgrounds that encompass finance, sales, and product, and that’s exactly what we need as we go out and foster relationships with boards,” DuChamp said. “He knows sales, but he’s not a ‘sales guy.’ He’s a relationship-builder and someone who develops an understanding through listening and analysis. He’s going to help us grow, but not for growth’s sake. At Vacatia, we talk a lot about growing in a thoughtful manner, and David aligns with that principle perfectly.”

In addition to the recent expansion of its resort management business into Rhode Island, New Hampshire, southeast Florida, and the Florida Keys, Vacatia has also expanded its services. Beyond full-service property management, the company also offers standalone rental monetization, technology, and real estate advisory services, as well as next-generation sales solutions that include short-term right-to-use products. McDonald is thrilled at the prospect of pitching the right product to each prospective partner.

“My job,” he said, “will be to listen to the boards and offer solutions that dovetail with their needs — whether that’s to help associations become more financially solvent, create efficiencies, or bring them back from the brink. It’s all about customizing solutions that address each resort’s unique needs — I can already see that Vacatia doesn’t do cookie-cutter.”

That approach suits McDonald’s sensibility. “In addition to my experience, this is what I bring to the table: fact-based decision-making, trustworthiness, and credibility,” he said. “I don’t believe in selling something to somebody who doesn’t need it.”

“What attracted me to Vacatia,” McDonald added, “is a collaborative, entrepreneurial spirit and a nimbleness that you don’t get with big companies. The team is empowered to find creative solutions that truly make a difference for these associations. I am excited to be a part of it.”

Vacatia provides hospitality-first management services to 460,000 timeshare owners nationwide. Its products drive owner engagement, improve cash flow, attract new members, and finance needed property renovations. The company also has more than 750 industry partners, including some of the largest timeshare associations that rely on it for rental and resale services. To learn more about Vacatia’s rental, resale, and property management services, as well as its subscription membership product, call 720-449-6738 or visit vacatia.com.