Westgate COO Reveals Growth Strategy, VI Resorts Expansion and New Focus on Younger Travellers

Following the appointment of Westgate’s Chief Operating Officer, the interview explored how two decades of experience across finance, strategy, marketing and resort operations are shaping the company’s next phase of growth. The discussion highlighted priorities around maintaining service standards across nearly 60 properties and 9,000 Team Members while preserving the individuality of each destination. The integration of VI Resorts, bringing nearly 40 additional destinations across Hawaii, Canada and Mexico, was identified as a major expansion supported by more than $4 million in planned investments. The interview also examined Westgate’s partnership with Choice Hotels, which expands access to 68 million Choice Privileges members, alongside efforts to attract Millennials and Gen Z through flexible ownership, technology and experience-led amenities. As ARDA Chair, the COO also emphasised AI, education, transparency, responsible technology and consumer trust as priorities shaping the future of vacation ownership.

Following your appointment as Chief Operating Officer, how does your 20-year experience across finance, strategy, and operations shape your leadership vision for Westgate’s nearly 60 properties?

During my twenty years at Westgate across roles in finance, planning and analytics, sales and marketing, and casino and resort operations – I have had the opportunity to see the business from virtually every angle. That experience has certainly shaped my perspective on how we create moments worth remembering for our Owners and guests, and we can operationalize them.

As COO, my priority is making sure our growth continues to translate into great experiences for our Owners and guests across the portfolio. With nearly 60 properties and 9,000 Team Members, that means creating strong operational standards, while also empowering our teams at the property level to respond to the unique needs of each destination and guest.

There’s a lot of opportunity ahead for Westgate, and for me, it’s about making sure we grow thoughtfully. That means investing in our people, destinations, experiences and technology while staying true to the personalized hospitality that has always been at the heart of the Westgate experience.

With the integration of VI Resorts and new expansion into Canada and Mexico, what are your operational priorities for scaling the brand while maintaining guest satisfaction across all destinations?

The integration of VI Resorts is a really exciting step for Westgate. It is the most significant geographic expansion in our history and brings nearly 40 additional domestic and international destinations into our portfolio, including locations across Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.

For us, the focus is on welcoming their incredibly talented Team Members, while simultaneously evaluating and developing the systems and processes needed to strengthen the overall Owner and guest experience. In fact, we have committed to investing more than $4 million in marketing, branding, technology improvements and the infrastructure necessary to create a more seamless experience across the expanded network for their 40,000 timeshare owners. 

At the same time, we don’t want every destination to feel the same. Our goal is to create consistent standards around service, quality and hospitality while preserving what makes each destination special and unique. That balance is really important as we continue to grow. And we’re learning from the VI Team Members that joined us as well. We have already adopted some of their best practices at Westgate as we take some of what they have done really well and incorporate it into our legacy business.  A good acquisition strategy includes learning from the people joining your team and trying to merge best practices across both organizations.

How are strategic collaborations—such as your partnership with Choice Hotels—helping Westgate tap into new consumer demographics and drive cross-brand discovery?

Strategic partnerships like the one we have with Choice Hotels allows us to introduce Westgate to travelers who may not have previously experienced a vacation with us. 

Today, 21 Westgate properties are available through ChoiceHotels.com and the Choice Hotels mobile app, giving us exposure to more than 68 million Choice Privileges members. It also gives travelers the opportunity to use their Choice points toward stays at participating Westgate properties.

We see that these partnerships create a natural opportunity for discovery and are complementary to our own ecosystem. The broader our distribution and the more flexible the pathways into the brand, the more opportunities we have to build long-term relationships with travelers.

How is Westgate evolving its resort offerings and amenities to appeal to younger Millennial and Gen Z travelers seeking flexible vacation ownership models?

Younger travelers are really changing the way people think about travel and vacation ownership. ARDA’s latest research shows that Millennials and Gen Z now represent 58% of timeshare owners and 76% of recent purchases, so we are seeing firsthand how much interest there is from these generations. In addition to that, they’re also looking for affordable, memorable experiences, technology-enabled convenience and the ability to personalize how they travel. 

We are responding by continuing to evolve both our product and the overall resort experience. For example, we’re working more flexibility and simplicity into ownership for both our traditional Westgate Owners and our points-based timeshare Owners with VI Resorts by Westgate. People are looking for greater flexibility to travel across a broad network of destinations to make the most of their vacation ownership, but they also want to ensure they don’t need to spend unnecessary time in order to reserve their reservations and interact with our team.

We’re also thinking about the experience once guests arrive. We want our resorts to have things that people genuinely want to do together, and that appeal across generations. New experiences such as the Mystery Fun House Arcade Experience, in partnership with Chuck E. Cheese, and our new River Country Water Park are good examples. Many of our top resorts feature expansive water parks, mini golf courses and so many other activities that give families and younger travelers more immersive, entertainment-focused experiences to enjoy while they’re with us.

As Chair of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), what key initiatives are you championing to advance transparency, technology, and trust across the timeshare industry?

ARDA’s 2026 programming is placing significant emphasis on technology and AI innovation, regulatory education across the vacation ownership industry, and consistent professional engagement. As Chair of ARDA, I see a real opportunity to help shape what the next chapter of vacation ownership looks like.

For me, transparency and education are a big part of that. Technology is changing almost every part of the customer journey, but technology on its own isn’t enough. Consumers need to understand what they’re purchasing, the value of their ownership and how to make the most of their benefits. ARDA’s research and educational initiatives play an important role in providing that clarity and helping both consumers and industry professionals navigate an evolving marketplace.

As the industry evolves, our responsibility is to make sure innovation and consumer trust evolve together. For me, building trust ultimately comes down to delivering on the promise of the product. When we communicate clearly, use technology responsibly, listen to Owners and consistently deliver quality vacation experiences, we strengthen confidence in the entire industry.