September 26th, 2024, 10:00 am PT / Category: Interviews
From AI-powered booking engines to data-driven insights, how is innovation reshaping the way hotels connect with and cater to their guests in the digital age?
Rodrigo is the CEO of SHR, a company dedicated to helping hoteliers gain a competitive edge. Today, over 2,500 properties rely on SHR for reservation connectivity, advanced booking engines, CRM, revenue management, and digital marketing solutions.
Before SHR, Rodrigo co-founded and led Whiteboard Labs, LLC, an integrated developer of web-based software solutions, and its predecessor, Webvertising, Inc. Under his leadership, Webvertising created and commercialized iHotelier, a web-based central reservation system (CRS) for the hotel industry, which was sold to TravelCLICK in early 2004. At Whiteboard Labs, Rodrigo oversaw the launch of multiple applications, including the Windsurfer CRS, a modern CRS introduced in 2010.
In 2012, Rodrigo led the formation of SHR through a joint venture with Singapore-based City Developments Ltd. In 2020, SHR became part of Serent Capital’s portfolio and later acquired Avvio Ltd, an Ireland-based provider of AI-enhanced booking engines and websites, in November 2022. SHR was acquired by the UK-based The Access Group in May 2024.
Before entering the hospitality technology space, Rodrigo spent 10 years in the banking industry, advising companies across a variety of sectors and countries. As Vice President and Client Advisor in the international department of Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase) in Houston, he advised subsidiaries of multinational companies on corporate finance and investment banking matters. Earlier in his career, Rodrigo worked for Bank of America’s Latin America division, managing a portfolio of over $600 million.
