Comprehensive Reports on TSIG - Part IV : Misc but Relevant Info
**********************************************************************
Misc Info #1: Detailed information about the management team.
**********************************************************************
Alyce A. Cucurullo, who has served as a management consultant to the Company since April of 1998, will become the Company's Chief Operating Officer. She has an established track record in the teleservices sector with experience in Call Center Operations, Sales and Account Management, Information Systems, Accounting and Finance, Human Resources and Purchasing and Facilities Management. Previously, Ms. Cucurullo served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of IQI, Inc. from 1991-1997 (formerly, Edward Blank Associates, Inc., the fifth largest inbound/outbound teleservices agency in the country). While at IQI, Ms. Cucurullo oversaw the day to day operations, while creating and executing an accelerated growth strategy that included the evaluation of potential acquisitions, the re-engineering of call center technology, the construction and staffing of new call centers, and concluded with all activities associated with the sale of the company. She also served as the primary point of contact to several of IQI's larger accounts, including the largest account, AT&T.
Catherine I. Krell, who has served as a marketing consultant to theCompany since August 1996, was named Vice President of Marketing Communications.Ms. Krell has extensive marketing experience in the tourism, hospitality andconsumer products industries. Her accomplishments include the repositioning andmarketing of Los Angeles to increase tourism, the repositioning of HiltonHotels, and new product introductions for Warner Lambert, Scott Paper Products,and Hills Bros. Coffee. Ms. Krell has held senior management positions withmajor advertising agencies in New York and Los Angeles, McCann Erickson, Inc.and J. Walter Thompson. She was named one of twelve Outstanding Women inAdvertising in the United State by Adweek magazine. Ms. Krell headed her ownmarketing consulting company, Marketing Directions, Inc.
Timothy J. Heidemann was named Vice President of Call CenterOperations. He brings with him over 15 years of experience in teleservices callcenter and direct mail/direct marketing channel management. Mr. Heidemann'strack record of producing optimal performance from call centers is a directresult of his ability to combine operational expertise and strong motivational<PAGE>and leadership skills. Mr. Heidemann consulted to AT&T's largest inbound clients, including Continental Airlines, Amoco Motor Club, Mead Data and Thompson Vacations. He was responsible for managing the center review process for these clients and presenting and implementing the resulting recommendations relative to workforce management and overall call center performance and profitability. Mr. Heidemann's extensive experience includes telemarketing sales, customer service, channel and vendor management, as well as "hands-on"management of AT&T's largest consumer acquisition telemarketing program from1994-1996.
Jeannie L. Lewin was named Vice President Sales. Ms. Lewin has anextensive hotel sales background with over eleven year of experience in the hospitality industry. Ms. Lewin joined VSI as Regional Director of Sales forthe West Coast in November 1996. She has worked with nationally recognized hotelchains such as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Marriott and Hilton Hotels. Ms. Lewin hasspent five years with Hyatt and most recently held the position of Director ofSales & Marketing at the Hyatt Regency Alicante in Anahaim, CA. Ms. Lewin alsoserved as Director of Sales & Marketing at the Hyatt Newporter in Newport Beach,CA and as Associate Director of Sales for the Hyatt Regency Hilton Head, inSouth Carolina. Ms. Lewin has worked closely with many Convention & VisitorsBureaus and Tourism Development Councils on marketing committees and advertisingcampaigns. She is a member of Professional Conference Management Association(PCMA), Meeting Planner International (MPI), and the American Society ofAssociation Executives (ASAE).
Richard E. Olson was named Vice President Account Management/CustomerService. Mr. Olson had joined the wholly owned subsidiary, VSI, in July 1995 asVice President of Sales. Prior to that, Mr. Olson served as Regional VicePresident for the International Hotel Academy, responsible for accountdevelopment and revenue growth for The Grand Wailea Resort, Hotel and Spa, Maui,and The Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles. In this role, Mr. Olson developed salesstrategies, systems and managed the sales campaign. Mr. Olson's diverseexperience includes ten years of service with Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Mostrecently, he served as Director of National Accounts in the Washington, D.C.Hyatt National Sales Office where he was the top revenue producer. In thiscapacity, his responsibilities included Convention and Group Sales for all 86 domestic Hyatt properties.
Rumors: It is heard on the grapevine that some top management individual is not working out with the new team. And is actually the cause of many problems that caused the delay of the website. Don't be surprised to see another restructuring as the company gears up for an exciting year.
**********************************************************************
Miscellaneous Info #2: Some idea of the hardware TSIG uses
**********************************************************************
VSI's Telecommunication System VSI's Destination Service Center is equipped with a sophisticatedLucent Definity Enterprise Communications Server, which provides callsequencing, distribution, and quality-of-answer statistics appropriate to meet the needs of any VSI destination marketing partner. Once a call entersthe ECS, it is directed either to an available Destination Counselor, or to ourLucent Intuity Conversant IVR, which collects additional information from thecaller and then directs the call based on the caller's individual needs--whetherto leave messages requesting a mail response, play custom pre-recordedinformation about the destination the caller is interested in, or route the callto a live Destination Counselor. VSI's staffing is based on the goal ofanswering all live-counselor calls within 25 seconds after the caller is routedto a counseling group. Proper scheduling and accurate, history-basedforecasting, utilizing data provided by our Destination Marketing partners, arean integral part of ensuring that VSI meets this goal. VSI uses both Hertz Technologies (an AT&T re-seller) and FrontierCommunications as their primary long distance carriers. Via Hertz, VSI hasaccess to toll-free services around the world, and Frontier has demonstratedit's phenomenal ability to quickly turn around installation times, routingchanges, and service issues. Their billing analysis software, ExpressView 3.0,is a superior tool for preparing inbound geographic detail analysis for ourDestination Marketing partners. VSI is currently working towards the implementation of Lucent's ExpertAgent Selection ACD software with our current switching platform. This softwarewill allow VSI to custom tailor a Destination Counselor's profile in the ACDsystem by linking specific skills and knowledge areas to their profile. Thesoftware also will allow VSI to link a "skills needed" profile with specificinbound calls, and then match the inbound call to the Destination Counselor bestable to assist that caller. This will be a powerful tool with which VSI will beable to further enhance the service we provide our Destination Marketing partners. Management intends to link VSI's reservations system software to theworld-wide travel agency networks, known as CRS's (computerized reservationssystems) to generate additional revenue. Such a link would allow any travelagent serviced by the CRS to seek information concerning CVB participatingproperties and to book reservations for their clients at any participating CVBproperty in the VSI system. Such bookings that would be booked as "tourproducts" are typically booked through travel agency CRS's, except that the datasource is the VSI system. However, VSI does not have an agreement to link itssystem with any of the travel agency CRS's, and VSI can give no assurances thatany such agreement could be negotiated on terms that would be satisfactory toVSI, if at all.
Rumors:
It is also heard on the grapevine that new additional speedy demoniacal machines had been added or upgraded the older ones in anticipation of the upcoming need.
**********************************************************************
Disclaimer:
Although I do my best to present the facts and evidence and have made it very plain when it is an assumption or rumor, I am still human. I will not claim this report infallable from error. If you find errors or misrepresentation, please let me know. I will be happy to revise it and let everyone know about it.
**********************************************************************
|
