Israel del Rio

Experience

Experience in leading development and operation of global enterprise guest value chain facing systems, including:

  • Multiple Distribution Channels. These cover high transaction Web portals (all Starwood branded web sites including Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, St Regis, Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, and aLoft), Call Centers technology including a newly developed SOA based call center system,  and mission-critical systems supporting GDS traffic (Sabre, Galileo, Amadeus, Worldspan), IDS (Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc),
  • Backend systems: Property Search & Shopping System, Rates & Availability System,  Reservations (Inventory, Booking, Promotions system),  Loyalty CRM
  • Distributed Fulfillment Systems: Property Management System. (Galaxy/LightSpeed), Kiosk development, and the Starwood Broadband Portal
  • Central Systems: Sales & Meetings applications, mainframe-based reservations, and revenue systems
In addition, experience in developing technology strategy and architecture roadmap development for mission-critical systems as well as development of core infrastructure solutions with focus on Service Oriented Architecture, global networking, and system management.

Development Experience

I contributed the overarching technology vision and have been the key strategist and designer behind the technology roadmaps for Starwood and IHG. My experience did not stop at developing the strategy as I also have developed and deployed several brand new mission-critical systems following the defined strategy.  In the process, I was instrumental in creating and building very effective and skilled internal development groups. This entailed defining the core development life cycle practices, standards, and methodologies for Starwood and IHG.

Previously, in Sabre and Galileo, I conceived and deployed technology solutions to support complex networking infrastructure, supporting very large mission-critical systems.While working for IBM, I led the development of various client solutions for beverage distribution and banking.

Development of Mission Critical Systems

Of the various mission-critical systems I have delivered, I am especially proud of the Starwood rates and availability system that offloaded the Starwood mainframe onto open system technology enabled via a service oriented architecture.

This offload is now expeditiously processing hundreds of thousands of complex rate queries a day via innovative use of pre-computed availability resident in a distributed object database.  With the system, Starwood can scale the system up to support exponentially higher loads coming from the Internet while returning best rates for any of Starwood’s great brands, as well as positioning the system for future support of new brands such as aLoft.. This particular deliverable was one of several stepping stones in what it was a multi-year technology strategy, I developed for Starwood. This strategy served as a blueprint for various successful Starwood technology deliverable efforts since 2001: Starguest Rapid Response System, CRM with industry leading loyalty program, innovative next generation web systems, and better property-based technologies (kiosk, wireless check-in tablets, in-room broadband portal, etc.). Yet another successful delivery from my team, was an industry-leading centralized Property DNA database with the accompanying search engine,  including deliverable of a content management system and an internally deployed leading-industry geo-coding and point of interest engine.

Experience developing customer facing technologies

During my tenure of responsibility over Starwood's Web Site portfolio,  my team and I successfully released redesigned web sites for StRegis.com, Westin.com, FourPoints.com, and more recently Sheraton.com, plus a quickly developed LeMeridien.com site. The latter two sites have been recognized by the media as innovative examples of Web 2.0 sites. For example, for the second time this year, PhoCusWright has singled out web sites developed by my team as examples to follow in the industry.  

R&D Responsibility

 I have R&D as well as product development and delivery experience.  I am a strong believer that no matter how small (and sadly, oftentimes this is an area that is underfunded) any R&D investment is always useful.  My R&D teams have produced great proofs of concept, some of which have gone into production (Starwood's Kiosk solution), and some other that served as a base for other products (InTouch Device).   
Management and Use of Outsourcing Resources

I have managed the use of outsourced resources, both onshore and offshore. My experience has been that offshore resources can only be used effectively if a very well-detailed set of requirements is drawn and the acceptance criteria for the deliverable is well understood. I believe off shoring also requires some physical presence at the offshore site to ensure the quality of the deliverable meets expectations. I am more positive when it comes to the use of onshore resources wherein the outsourcer is relatively close to the core in-house development and is able to work on the project in a more integrated fashion.  

Web based ASP software development Experience

Practically all the software development I have conducted in recent years is based on ASP. Furthermore, I have led the development of ASP front-end applications reusing back-end business logic via the advanced use of Service Oriented Architecture. The move to SOA enabled companies like Starwood to scale their web channel to increase the ease of use and accuracy of information available to a skyrocketing number of guests researching and comparing hotel facilities and prices on the Internet. For example, a hotel guest planning a trip to Miami, Florida might begin researching hotel availability on the Sheraton.com website. Another guest planning to visit Miami might use the Westin.com site. The search initiated by the guest goes to the back engine to find the services needed to get the proper information to the guest. The web services technology does the work in the background to make it easier for the guest to investigate many options in finding the right hotel at the right price.

Product Development Philosophy

I'm a believer in Rapid Application Development methodologies. Even larger projects can be split into smaller units that can be managed around milestones fixed in shorter timeframes. I believe a typical delivery should not exceed ten months, and ideally should be targeted to take a shorter timeframe. I try to assign the projects according to the needed timeframe, strategic value, and team skill set.To better serve the business, there must be an enterprise-level technology strategic framework. All projects need to meet this framework (flexibility and freedom within the framework should be allowed) and new initiatives emanate from the strategic roadmap as driven from business imperatives. Defining requirements in a manner that ensures technology is meeting the business needs is perhaps one of the most challenging areas of the technology delivery process. There is a need to continually validate the requirements as the project progresses, always watching for scope creep. Provided the business partners are convinced of the ultimate value of the project, and the project delivers the core promises, compromise with business is always possible.

 Partnering with Business

The role of the IT Executive/CIO has become more of a business role. Technology knowledge is still a must, but what matters most is the ability to properly bridge the gap between techno-speak and business-talk.  The IT Executive must keep each foot firmly planted: one on the technology space, the other on the business.  Also, the feasibility of implementing service oriented architectures that permit better mirroring of technology with business has enabled the more direct communication between those defining business models and processes and the IT group. The technology executive's role is one of ensuring that this exchange can take place in a fluid manner between the various company groups and stakeholders. Technology should endeavor to proactively identify business-enabling approaches and not to assume an order-taking role only. Complementary with this approach, IT should socialize and communicate to business the universe of what is possible, so that business can enjoy a wider menu of options and be better armed in the priority-setting exercises that are sure to follow. The partnership between technology and business should be one among equals, but for that to occur, technologists need to become acquainted with the business imperatives and think in holistic ways that go beyond pure technology factors. Ultimately, technology projects need to convey a business benefit if they are to succeed.

Establishing early good communication with customers, particularly in the area of requirements definition is paramount. I also try to define the minimum acceptable baseline of international requirements.  While the business imperatives determine “what” should be done, technology defines “how” it should be done. The biggest challenge consists of prioritizing the various needs and determining what should meet strategic constraints and what can be done tactically. I see my role as one of proactively identifying business-enabling approaches from a technology perspective. Wearing my technologist hat I “do” define the required technology strategy and solutions while socializing and communicating the universe of what is possible.

Release Management

I believe in agility of delivery, but also in ensuring that software is tested to the maximum possible level. Release management works from the setting of requirements to the setting up of the necessary testing and staging infrastructure.  In general, I strongly encourage my team on keeping all installed software versions from vendors as current as possible (minimally at current minus one, but not older) to ensure we get the necessary vendor support. Ideally, I try to have my teams issue periodic, smaller releases. Placing changes into production in smaller chunks has less impact and is easier to test. Obviously, when major releases are needed, the process requires extra controls in the change management process. In addition to a good methodology, good release management depends on great people: testers and developers.

In Summary

I have had a fruitful technology career that includes experience that has tracked many of the various computer revolutions such as the move to distributed processing (working with IBM on Series/1 systems), advent of Personal Computing, applying innovation to solve exciting technology problems (I was part of the technology team that developed and deployed what at the time was the largest diskless PC network in support of United Airlines “terminal of the future” at the O’Hare International Airport), and the emergence of the Internet.

In addition to having gained a perspective working for a leading technology vendor (IBM), my career has centered around defining architectures and technical solutions capable of supporting complex business requirements for large, high-transaction environments. For example, I was the lead architect and designer of the network redesign that introduced TCP/IP connectivity to over 25,000 Apollo travel agencies, and later introduced new networking to Sabre’s massive travel agency population.  These network redesigns went hand-in-hand with the introduction of distributed processing models, mostly based on service oriented paradigms. This background in Galileo/Apollo, and Sabre, enabled me to identify the preferred SOA roadmap for Starwood and IHG.

As for the other software areas mentioned, I have been involved in many other application spaces, from Point-of-Sale technology to more traditional order entry and accounting applications (especially while working at IBM). As an independent entrepreneur, back in the mid-nineties I developed and marketed my own queuing discrete event simulation tool (Prophesy).

In the end, the attribute I am more often associated with is my ability to define practical, yet visionary solutions, and to actually drive their implementation by flexibly and effectively driving the project to success.

References

During my career, I have been honored to work with many professional people from all areas (technology, business, support, etc) that have jointly worked with me in our many successes. Likewise, I believe that during my professional march I have left good impressions and opinions that can certainly be inquired about.

You can visit my linkedin.com profile containing several recommendations about my person at http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7213068
Other references are certainly available on request.

 

Key Background

I have been lucky to have led many successful projects that introduced technology innovations in support of business, while working with great teams I helped build.

I have been tested in providing visionary strategies that work to solve the needs of complex business problems, and have completely enjoyed every step of the way in actually implementing the strategies I have defined.