Company address: 1716 West Shore Drive, Delafield, WI 53018
Company Web site: www.reserveinteractive.com
Industry: Productivity software for the hospitality industry
Number of employees: 25 and growing
Education: B.S.E.E. in electrical and computer engineering from Arizona State University; M.B.A. from Marquette University
Family: Husband, Duane; and three sons: Gabe, Zach (and his wife, Misty), Alex (and his wife, Michelle)
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
“2007 marked our 11th consecutive year of growth, and 2008 is off to an amazing start – not only in sales numbers, but with the acquisition and implementation of new national accounts such as Gaylord Entertainment Centers, Brunswick Recreation Centers, and The Patina Group.”
What’s new at your company?
“Technology in the hospitality industry is advancing by leaps and bounds. We pride ourselves in staying ahead of the curve. That’s why we launched a web-based version of our software called ReServe Anywhere. It enables our customers to manage their businesses from anywhere, at anytime via a password-protected internet connection. It’s a true win-win offering. It’s a subscription-based service, so it creates long-term recurring revenue for us, but it also has many benefits for the customer. We control the hosting environment, so on-site IT support is reduced. We also handle all upgrades and manage database backups, which is huge for the hospitality industry where many small to mid-sized organizations have no IT department and struggle with ongoing maintenance. Since we launched this hosted application, our business has exploded.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
“Yes! We’re looking to hire a vice president of sales to focus on key multi-unit and corporate accounts. We’re also looking for an account salesperson; and additional training and support staff with hospitality experience.”
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
“Hosted solutions. Though many of the smaller competitors have not implemented a hosted solution yet – competition is fierce between those that have. The market wants it.”
Do you have a business mantra?
“Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, said, ‘Confidence gives you courage and extends your reach. It lets you take greater risks and achieve far more than you ever thought possible. Building self-confidence in others is a huge part of leadership. It comes from providing opportunities and challenges for people to do things they never imagined they could do … rewarding them after each success in every way possible.’ This is the leadership style we try to foster at ReServe.”
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
“I come from a GE background, having worked at GE Medical Systems for 10 years before starting ReServe Interactive. Back then, Jack Welch was the CEO. I’ve read many of his books and ‘lived’ his culture of business excellence. His techniques are the template for many of our current initiatives. We expect the best out of our employees, and reward risk-taking and an entrepreneurial spirit.”
What was the best advice you ever received?
“‘Pick your battles; win the war.’ I’ve used that philosophy with professors, family relationships and business relationships. Being very competitive and assertive by nature, I am not afraid to back down from an argument, I have to frequently remind myself that winning the battle at hand may not be in my best long-term interest.”
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in your career?
“Early in my career at GE, as a new employee fresh out of college, a colleague and I established what was called the ‘Quote of the Day’ board. In every conversation, formal meeting or presentation, we had our pens poised, ready to quote any unsuspecting speaker. We had such gems as: ‘I’m going to kill this thing if it just died on me!’ and ‘It’s so foggy I can’t see myself across the street!’ and ‘I was sitting here in between the lines of my book …’ and the managerial favorite ‘That’s not totally unclear.’ You get the idea.”
