India-headquartered global travel technology company OYO announced the elevation of Shreerang Godbole as the chief service officer and Shirish Damani as the company’s chief revenue officer today. These appointments align with OYO’s efforts to optimise its service technology, improve and scale customer experience and help its patrons (hotel owners) build branded, digitally enabled storefronts with higher revenue generation potential.
Shreerang was earlier the senior vice president for consumer product division, while Shirish led the revenue function at OYO Vacation Homes (OVH). Having conceptualised the playbooks for the company’s core functions, they will work on further growing its global business.
In the recent past, OYO has introduced additional measures to improve revenue for its patrons, further sophisticate dynamic pricing ability for its customers, and improve artificial intelligence-based algorithms. It has also added more flexibility through technology, making the digital experience on its platform more seamless.
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In his new role, Damani will focus on building this revenue-first, tech-forward, customer-centric approach at OYO. He will take charge of the consumer product team and work towards making the OYO App and website smoother and more user-friendly.
During his seven years at OYO, Damani has helped revamp the revenue management system at OVH, with the acquisition of Leisure Group being the highlight of his stint. He was also instrumental in laying the foundation of the company’s dynamic pricing system and algorithms.
In 2019, OYO-powered hotel storefronts in India, Malaysia and Indonesia generated 1.5 to 1.9 times more revenue on average after 12 weeks of joining the OYO platform - compared to the average revenue estimated at independent hotels of a similar size, according to RedSeer.
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To further OYO’s global mission of building a consumer-first approach, Godbole, in his new role, will be responsible for the service and experience of patrons and customers globally. He will work closely with the operations, patron engagement, and customer service teams across markets, leading the consumer service and partner service product charters.
In his previous role as senior vice president for the consumer product division, Godbole was responsible for building products that sustainably improve and scale customer experience while unlocking revenue maximisation opportunities. During his eight-year tenure at OYO, he led various roles and responsibilities and drove key interventions. These included building the Yo! Chatbot, shaping OYO Wizard+ into an attractive loyalty program, and consumer confidence-generating campaigns such as VaccinAid and Sanitised Before Your Eyes (SBYE) during the pandemic.
He recently took additional charge of user acquisition and engagement journeys taking measures to improve the brand’s acquisition and conversion metrics. Under his leadership, the consumer product team has grown. According to Sensor Tower, the OYO App has become the third most-downloaded travel mobile application globally and the most downloaded travel mobile application in Asia (2020).
Recently, OYO also revamped its flagship patron-facing app, CO-OYO, to empower patrons and their staff with the necessary tools to boost revenues. Patrons can now run their own promotional offers ahead of the peak festive travel season this year.
Earlier this year, OYO rolled out several app-level features such as flexible cancellation and modification of bookings, the ‘Pay at Hotel’ option, and ‘Nearby Stays’ to provide consumers the flexibility and convenience to travel choices on the go, even at the last minute.
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