Germany: Vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo has appointed Dr Bodo Thielmann as its first-ever chief investment director.
In the newly created role, Thielmann will lead the company’s efforts to acquire, integrate and scale profitable businesses. HomeToGo says it is looking ahead to tapping into its still significant cash position to fuel both organic and inorganic growth and continue its growth trajectory.
To date since going public in September 2021, HomeToGo has made a spate of strategic acquisitions, from vacation rental travel tech provider SECRA to AMIVAC, the vacation rental business unit of Groupe SeLoger, and internet company e-domizil GmbH from e-vacation Group Holding GmbH for €40 million.
Thielmann joins the company from his previous role as CEO of Destination Solutions GmbH [HRS Group], one of HomeToGo’s key partners as a leading travel tech firm for vacation rental management.
He previously served as CFO of OYO Vacation Homes, which includes brands Belvilla, DanCenter and Traum-Ferienwohnungen. Additionally, he was COO of Electronic Media and head of new investments in his decade of experience at Axel Springer Group, including responsibility for investments such as Airbnb, Runtastic, Awin/Zanox and AVIV Group, a leading digital real estate tech company.
Initially, he worked for Bertelsmann and Deutsche Telekom Group, and continues to serve as a board member of the German Holiday Home Association.
Dr Patrick Andrae, co-founder and CEO of HomeToGo, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Bodo Thielmann, who has been one of our long-time trusted partners, to our HomeToGo leadership team. Bodo brings an inimitable and rare combined expertise of both investments through M&A and operational experience in the vacation rental industry, including extensive knowledge of our unique business model.
“Our targeted M&A activity has always underlined a strategy of selectively acquiring and scaling healthy, profitable businesses that contribute directly to our operational and financial performance. With multiple value accretive acquisitions in 2022 and a resulting post-merger integration focus that we’ve completed in 2023, Bodo will be instrumental in fuelling our targeted inorganic growth in the future,” he added.
Dr Bodo Thielmann, chief investment director of HomeToGo, said: “I’m truly looking forward to joining one of the fastest growing and impressively professional players in the vacation rental industry. In my years of partnering with HomeToGo, we have always united on the common goal of delivering an incredible experience for our travellers and key customers on the supply side, and driving resilient and strong performance together.
“In this new chapter, I look forward to building on their already significant profitable growth trajectory through selective and value accretive M&A and helping to grow their global footprint within our industry,” he added.
Founded in 2014, HomeToGo operates a marketplace for vacation rentals that connects millions of travellers searching for a perfect place to stay with thousands of inventory suppliers around the world. The company operates localised apps and websites in 25 countries, and is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the stock ticker ‘HTG’.
In July, HomeToGo officially launched Modes, described as a “revolutionary new way to find vacation rentals and travel destinations”, with its inaugural AI Mode becoming available in beta to US and UK users.
Simon Matthews, director of technology, data & OSS, HomeToGo, will discuss Modes and more on the ‘Pitch battle: Tech it out’ panel at the inaugural STRz Summit in London on Wednesday 18 October.
See the full STRz Summit agenda here and book your tickets now at this link.
