Demeure Club Executive Team Profile

By: Destination Club News
Date: August 10, 2010

Update: Rob McGrath is no longer attached to Demeure and his time as a consultant with the club ended shortly after this article's original publish date. Please feel free to read more about his departure here.

Marguerite Sadler received an early birthday present this year with the launch of a new destination club venture of which she is attached: Demeure Club.

"Tomorrow’s my birthday (don’t ask me which one!)," Sadler wrote on Friday of last week. "I can honestly say that second only to my weekend get-away in Napa Valley with my husband, the best gift I’m getting this year is knowing that after months and months of brainstorming and hard work, today we’re launching Demeure!"

This new exchange based destination club allows those with second homes and vacation properties the ability to contribute their residences to the portfolio while traveling to other club residences around the globe. Those without a property to contribute can also join, receiving discounts of 40% on their travel. Years in the making, Demeure has amassed an executive team as diverse as their property roster, including some of the most notable names in the history of the destination club industry.

The club's biggest name is Rob McGrath. Known as the inventor of the destination club concept, McGrath has been absent from the industry he established in the late 90s since Tanner & Haley's bankruptcy in 2006. An Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, McGrath developed fractional real estate projects in Arizona, Wyoming, and Colorado with sales in excess of $165 million before creating the groundbreaking destination club model and will bring his vast knowledge to Demeure as the club's Director of Business Development.

One of the longest tenured executives in the destination club industry, Mark Cibik joins Demeure as Director of Sales. Formerly associated with ultra-luxury clubs Parallel and Solstice, Cibik has an intimate understanding of the club concept and the benefits of shared usage travel in addition to his B.A. in finance and M.B.A. in management, giving him the skills necessary to discuss many components of membership with inquiries.

Working alongside both McGrath and Cibik in her extensive destination club career is Christi Kalmer, Director of Training and Development. Her resume includes stops at Tanner & Haley, Parallel, and Solstice and her operations, sales, and management experience will all be of critical importance during the club's launch build up.

Demeure's roster of executives with destination club experience ends with these three, they do have a sizeable leadership team with experience in a plethora of other fields.

Peter Schwartz serves as the club's Chairman and CEO. Working in finance, real estate, and technology, Schwartz is also the President of Laurence Capital Corporation, a Canadian based private equity firm. Formerly the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Nasdaq and TSZ listed Descartes Systems Group Inc., Schwartz was selected as one of The Financial Post's Top 40 Under 40.

Bringing a demonstrable background in consumer internet and complex enterprise software products, Jim Murphy is Demeure's Chief Technology Officer. Consulting on everything from mobile applications to Wall Street, Murphy brings an entrepreneurial aspect to the club, serving at many lean startups.

The birthday girl Marguerite Sadler is tasked as the club's Director of Global Content. A practicing attorney with major law firms in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver, Sadler has focused on commercial real estate acquisition, development and finance, and the formation of fractional vacation ownership projects and resort development.

Director of Customer Experience Carolyn Ellis is an experienced chef and restaurant manager who has been awarded the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 certification. Ellis will work with members to provide them hands on planning services to help them greater enjoy their vacations.

Responsible for Demeure's technology platform, including the design and creation of the club's web applications and supporting services, is Andrew Cant. Active in the open source software community, Cant is experienced in a number of software fields.

The face behind the customer experience is Lindsay Johnston. Bringing her background in the restaurant and hospitality industries, including Expedia, Demeure writes that Johnston is "a huge benefit to us all and is guaranteed to enhance your next travel experience."

The lead analyst for the club's financials is Joel Lavoie. A Chartered Accountant certified by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Lavoie spent three years with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the audit, assurance and tax group before joining The Laurence Group.

When speaking with a destination club, learning more about their executive team and growth structure should be one of many due diligence review items that you should consider prior to joining. If you would like a list of suggested points to address, request a free copy of our Destination Club Guide, your resource for all things concerning destination club membership.