Vacasa appoints Messing to board of directors
US: Vacation rental management platform Vacasa has announced that Barbara Messing is set to join the company’s board as an independent director upon the successful completion of its merger with special purpose acquisition company [SPAC] TPG Pace Solutions.
Messing will bring a wealth of public company, marketing and travel experience to the company, having served as the chief marketing and people experience officer at online game platform Roblox in her current role, and as a board member of online furniture retailer Overstock, where she has helped guide both tech-enabled platforms through various stages of growth. Formerly, she was SVP and chief marketing officer at Walmart US and SVP and chief marketing officer at TripAdvisor.
Vacasa CEO Matt Roberts said: “As we transition Vacasa to a public company, we’re in the midst of an incredibly exciting time for our business and Barbara’s expertise will be an asset to our continued growth. Barbara has deep knowledge of the travel industry, with former roles at both TripAdvisor and Hotwire, and can support our vision for Vacasa to become a household brand in the vacation rental category.”
Earlier this month, Vacasa announced record-setting financial results for a third quarter, with its Q3 gross booking value, revenue and adjusted EBITDA reaching their highest levels ever.
Messing said: “I am passionate about the hospitality industry and recognise the market opportunity ahead for vacation rentals with growing consumer interest. I look forward to bringing my unique perspective and experience in helping companies scale through technology to Vacasa’s board, and also advising the management team as they build a global brand in this space.”
Messing is expected to join Vacasa’s board as an independent director when Vacasa’s proposed SPAC merger is completed before the end of the year.
Operating 35,000+ homes in more than 400 destinations in North America, Belize and Costa Rica, Vacasa announced that it had entered into an agreement to become a publicly traded company through the business combination with TPG Pace Solutions in July, at a pro forma equity valuation of approximately $4.5 billion.
