McClendon Named CEO of SPI Software
SPI Software opened 2022 by announcing that its highly respected employee of 22 years, Gordon McClendon, has been promoted to CEO. Serving most recently as vice president of SPI, he began his journey with the Miami-based company in 2000 in its systems products division.
During the two-plus decades that have followed, McClendon has distinguished himself and the company, generating recognition within the vacation ownership industry for SPI’s software development as well as praise for his leadership, including an “Industry Leader” award in 2021 as part of the 11th annual Perspective Magazine Awards.
Since the company’s formation in 1978, SPI Software supplied vacation-ownership properties with both software solutions and exceptional customer service. The company’s for 44 years in the hospitality technology market indicates their flexibility to adapt to constant changes, not only technologically but also in the cultural and personnel requirements customers face.
McClendon believes the timeshare industry’s dependency on technology will continue to play a significant role in how companies prepare for the future. “Like almost all technology, what worked five years ago is nearly obsolete today,” he said. “If you are unable to adapt or change, you won’t be in business long. Our ability to remain the leader in vacation ownership software – since almost the beginning of the industry itself – has been achieved by maintaining close contacts with our customers and adapting our software to keep pace with the changes that are constantly thrown their way, such as communication challenges we have faced during the global pandemic.”
During the height of the pandemic, McClendon oversaw the logistics of establishing each employee with a safe, secure workspace, said Michael Del Pino, SPI’s vice president of software development. “He assured that each employee had the tools needed to be successful in their role and monitored them with weekly calls to gauge their well-being,” he said. “In addition to the internal challenges facing SPI, our biggest goal was to be certain that our customers were staying financially stable when little to no room revenue was being generated. To accomplish this, Gordon spearheaded a major project of contacting hundreds of customers and reviewing their accounts.”
This enabled SPI to work with each customer on software upgrades, training issues, and new products, as well as to make long-term plans on how each partnership could be improved, Del Pino added. “Under his leadership and the various internal departments, SPI was able to create an expedited registration/check-in process, which keeps employees safe by limiting unnecessary contact with guests, and improves the overall satisfaction level of owners and guests staying at the property. It was truly an amazing accomplishment, brought about by an unforeseen challenge.”
McClendon began his career as an actuary and holds a degree in mathematics from Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois. Prior to joining SPI, Gordon ran a major financial derivatives trading firm, with offices from New York to Tokyo, and he was a founding board member of the after-hours trading system, Globex. He also was in a leadership position at Chicago Mercantile Exchange for many years, having the distinction of being elected to the board by the highest vote total ever.