THE SASSATO
COOPERATIVE
Our Team.
Dan Wacksman
Founder and Principal, Sassato LLC
-
Conducted strategic review and RFP process for hotels, resorts, and chains through to decision process (and some cases implementations) on core technologies, including; CRS/Booking Engine, Contact Center Technology, activities POS, CRM, and Loyalty.
-
Co-creator and instructor for an industry-leading class on digital marketing, Hotel Digital Marketing Essentials, and Co-Author of the book, Hospitality Digital Marketing Essentials
Senior Advisor for McKinsey & Co
-
Advisor in the Travel, Transport & Logistics Practice assisting with client engagements with some of the world’s largest travel companies.
Senior Vice President, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts
-
Oversaw media, digital, CRM, loyalty, contact center, distribution & strategic initiatives
-
Led the transition and implementation of all major marketing and distribution systems, including CRS, Booking Engine, CRM, Loyalty Program, Websites, etc.
Travelport
-
Regional Director Asia/MD China, GTA – Restructured & repositioned the business which led to a significant increase in profitability
-
Managing Director, Aoyou.com – Led start-up joint venture OTA, to become the #3 player in the market at the time
-
Director Strategic Development, Travelport – Participated in over $2 Billion of acquisitions (due diligence, deals, and integration)
Lisa Menor Miller
Lisa A. Menor Miller, CPA, CFE, is a successful, proven professional with over
30 years of public and private experience in strategy & development, operations, management, finance, accounting and project management. Lisa focuses on strategically combining all aspects of business, including finance, operations, strategy and data analytics to achieve.
Experience Includes:
-
Lisa Miller Consulting, Business Resources Consulting
-
VP of Franchising & Special Projects FCH Corporation (Parent Co. of Zippys)
-
COO/Asset Manager for HTH with over $400 million in transactions/financing
-
VP and Controller, The Hartley Foundation
-
Controller for Cheap Tickets (took public and through to acquisition)
Lisa is a Hawaii Certified Public Accountant and member of the Hawaii Society of CPAs. Born and raised in Hawai’i, Lisa graduated from Iolani School, and attended Claremont McKenna College, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BBA degree in Accounting. Lisa and her husband, Michael, support and participate in numerous community organizations and events and enjoy traveling, food & wine, attending industry conferences, discussing business, innovation
and technology
Mari Kam
Mari Kam is a digital marketer and hospitality leader recognized for her communication, creativity, and leadership skills. Highly efficient and organized, she excels at providing insightful solutions to help organizations define and execute a road map to successfully complete projects.
Experience Includes:
-
Complex Director of Online Marketing for the Kyo-ya owned Marriott properties on Oahu & Maui where she directed the complex’s strategic online marketing initiatives impacting top-line revenue.
-
Strategic Marketing Manager for Halekulani Corporation where she assisted in the development, management, and implementation of marketing and e-commerce strategies.
Mari holds a Master of Management in Hospitality from Cornell. Mari has a passion for travel, food, and wine. Originally from Honolulu, she has spent time living all over the country from Portland to Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle but always considers Hawai’i her home.
John D. Neeley
John D. Neeley, is an accomplished senior Information Technology executive offering over 35 years of demonstrated career success in executing strategic and tactical strategies to promote organizational growth and sustainability. Extensive global leadership experience in Technology, Business Development, and Application Development within a diverse range of industries. Results-oriented professional, recognized for taking on major initiatives, adapting to rapidly changing environments, and resolving mission-critical issues to ensure bottom-line success.
Experience Includes:
-
Hospitality / Information Technology Consulting, Sassato LLC
-
VP, Information Technology, Outrigger Enterprises Group
-
Adjunct Instructor, Hawaii Pacific University
-
Consultant Systems Analyst, Lockheed Martin
-
Senior Systems Analyst, GTE Hawaiian Telephone
-
Software Developer, Bank of Hawaii
John holds a Master of Science in Information Systems from Hawaii Pacific University. Born in Texas, John has lived and traveled all over the world, but now considers Hawai’i his home. John enjoys traveling, golf, hiking, softball, soccer, bicycling, food/wine/pubs, and live music.
Bryan Hopkins
With over 22 years of web development experience that spans early-stage startups to publicly traded companies, Bryan is a veteran of the industry. He’s spent the last 17 years dedicated to his passion for the hospitality industry. Bryan has been focused on developing best-in-class content management systems, booking engines, and user experiences that drive conversion and revenue generation. Bryan has been a key contributor and advisor to Sassato since its inception.
Experience Includes:
-
As the Director Of Software Development for Red Lion Hotels, Bryan developed award winning websites and booking engines resulting in record direct to consumer conversion rates revenue
-
Working as a consultant for Outrigger Hotels, Bryan overseas the marketing technology stack including user experience design and development, A/B testing and personalization strategies, website performance, conversion rate optimization. In this role Bryan led a booking engine conversion for the brand website, ongoing booking engine optimization and two complete website re-designs.
-
As a key member of the Sabre user group, Bryan has helped Sabre redevelop key aspects of its booking engine and has been a lead partner in testing the applications with his clients.
