Editorial Board   Guest Author

Mr. Dean

Wes Dean

Vice President of Information Technology, M3 Accounting Services

Wes Dean is Vice President of Information Technology for M3 Accounting Services, the national leader in hotel-specific accounting software, processing more than $8 billion in financial transactions for more than 3,000 properties. With more than 20 years of network operations, software development and business operations management experience, Mr. Dean formulates long-term visions for the company's technology and service offerings. By directing M3's research and development (R&D) activities, he helps make the vision become a reality. Mr. Dean leads development of new software solutions and oversees improvement of existing products. His responsibilities include conducting research among the user community to ensure M3 products deliver the desired features and functionality, along with usability testing to make certain that M3 products perform across a number of platforms. Mr. Dean also serves as the company's executive security officer. He directs M3's hosting operations and directs the design, budget and capacity planning for its distributed data center operations. He guided M3 through their first Type II SAS70 Audit, ensuring compliance with publicly traded companies' regulations and industry standards. Prior to joining M3, Mr. Dean held a variety of leadership roles for technology companies based in Canada and the United States. He served as chief operating officer for Cyence International, a leading provider of Web-based financial software solutions for banking, manufacturing, and equipment leasing markets. Previously he served as CEO & chief technology officer of Signature Technology Solutions, an Atlanta-based company that helped financial organizations integrate online components into their processing systems. He is a former U.S. Army Infantry Officer serving as a Platoon Leader in the 82nd Airborne Division. Mr. Dean holds both a Bachelor's in Management Information Systems and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia.

Mr. Dean can be contacted at 770-297-3341 or wes@m3as.com

Coming up in November 2020...

Hotel Design: Home Away From Home

With the rise of the sharing economy and the peer-to-peer marketplace for lodging options, hoteliers are re-thinking the look, feel and appeal of their locations. There is an emphasis on re-creating a feeling of homeyness - a comfortable, cozy and inviting space that feels like home. 'This is accomplished through the careful selection of furniture design, paint colors, lighting design, artwork, bathroom fixtures and textile accessories. In addition, some hotels are providing their guests with upscale amenities, such as a book and movie library, home-style kitchenettes, a coffee machine with locally-sourced beans and tea, or even a batch of fresh-baked cookies. Similarly, there is a growing design trend based on the concept of place-making. Travelers are searching for experiences that are unique and authentic to the locale in which they find themselves, and so hotel designers are integrating a sense of place into their work. This is partially achieved by incorporating traditional artisanal crafts and other local artwork into hotel rooms and communal spaces. Another design trend includes the creation of full-service, co-working environments within the hotel. Guests don't like to stay alone in their room when they need to work, so now they can go downstairs to the lobby-or up to the roof-to work among others. These areas encourage guests - and non-guests alike - to stay as long as they like and to partake of hotel amenities. Finally, recognizing the importance of the Wellness Movement, some designers are exploring how room design can increase the likelihood of deep and restorative sleep. Creating dark and quiet spaces, blocking excessive light, providing guests with a selection of different kinds of pillows, and the ability to control room temperature, are a few of the best practices in this area. These are some of the architecture and design topics that will be covered in the November issue of the Hotel Business Review.

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