Vacatia Hires Valerie Gilson as Director of Customer Care and Inventory Management

Vacatia Inc., a leading provider of innovative customer-centric solutions for independent timeshare resorts, has announced the hiring of Valerie Gilson as director of customer care and inventory management.

In her new position, Gilson will oversee the team that responds to owners’ reservations and billing inquiries, as well as the group that helps independent resorts optimize inventory usage. It’s a role perfectly suited for the industry veteran, who spent 36 years with Vacation Resorts International (VRI), most recently as the timeshare management company’s vice president of operations.

“At Vacatia, we’ve always prioritized high-touch hospitality,” said Caroline Shin, Vacatia’s CEO. “Val gets it. She started out in the trenches as a reservation agent at VRI and worked her way up because that commitment to owners is in her DNA.”

For Gilson, the commitment is both professional and personal. “The independents are integral to this industry, and helping them optimize inventory so that they can continue to thrive decades after they opened their doors is a responsibility I take very seriously,” she said. “Beyond that, I truly enjoy sending people on vacation. I’ve gotten to know so many owners with multiple weeks at the same property. They bring their kids to the resort year after year, and then the kids inherit the week, and the children bring their children.

The familial nature of timeshare really inspires me to go above and beyond for owners.”

She’s in good company. Just three months into her tenure with Vacatia, Gilson looks around and sees a like-minded team. “Everybody wants to help, and they’re so dedicated — to the work and to the owners,” she said. “The camaraderie on this team is infectious.”

With Gilson arriving during a period of tremendous growth for Vacatia, her teams will be leaning on her wealth of experience and steady leadership.

“As we increase our footprint in the independent timeshare management space, it’s crucial that we not only retain, but strengthen, our focus on the owner experience,” Shin said. “Under Val’s leadership, the customer care and inventory management teams are going to reach a whole new level of service.”

Gilson relishes the responsibility. “It’s important for my team to know that I am here to assist and support them in any way I can,” she said. “They need a leader who believes in their growth as individuals, as well as the importance of their role within our organization.”

She also looks forward to developing close relationships with the on-site team at each Vacatia-managed property. “Having overseen 135 properties during my time at VRI, I speak from experience when I say independent timeshare resorts possess a unique character,” Gilson said. “The owners, their traditions, the location, the size of the property — no two resorts are alike. And that’s what makes this industry so special. And honoring that is what makes Vacatia special.”

Vacatia provides hospitality-first management services to 80,000 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.