Javier Barrera

Javier Barrera oversees the company strategy and operations for AltiusPAR. An award-winning economist, Barrera comes to AltiusPAR after serving as executive vice president and chief marketing and technology officer of Grupo Posadas, a leading global hotel chain based in Latin America.

During his 12-year tenure at Grupo Posadas, Barrera oversaw a number of strategic business initiatives, including the management and launch of Fiesta Americana Vacation Club, a new business division that marked the company’s entrance into the timeshare market. Barrera also oversaw strategic planning and marketing for more than eight years, including product and franchise services development and communication services between all hotels and subsidiaries.

Barrera also brings in-depth development and strategic planning experience to AltiusPAR, which makes him an invaluable asset to the company. An economist by training, Barrera holds an undergraduate degree from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM) and an MBA from Tulane University. In 1986, he was granted the National Award on Economics, the highest recognition in the field of economics in Mexico.

Leopoldo Toro

Along with CEO Javier Barrera, Leopoldo Toro oversees operations and sets the overall direction for AltiusPAR. He is also responsible for all operating functions of AltiusPAR and reports directly to Barrera. Prior to helping to start AltiusPAR, Toro was the Chief Information Officer for Grupo Posadas. He was responsible for the overall technology strategy, including platforms, systems development and technology partnership development.

While at Grupo Posada, Toro was responsible for formulating and implementing the Posadas “real-time enterprise model,” which includes electronic distribution, contact centers, sales force automation, CRM and ERP implementation and operation. Under his direction Posadas initiated and concluded a Shared Services and ERP implementation project, which provides the back-office services to more than 80 Posadas’ hotels throughout Latin America and the U.S. He also helped to develop a central inventory and distribution technology platform, which is currently under international patent consideration.

In addition, Toro was the strategy and innovation director reporting to Posadas’ CEO. There, he helped define Posadas’ vision, business model and organization. He also was responsible for a major company reorganization effort centered on change management and technology as the main enablers of the company’s success.

Prior to Grupo Posadas, Toro held several senior management positions at Rohm and Haas Co., including the areas of logistics, sales, marketing and finance. He also worked at Arthur D. Little as a senior consultant in the strategy and technology management practices. Toro worked as a consultant for large energy and chemical industry companies specializing in technology strategy, evaluation, implementation, knowledge management and technology asset valuations. He also worked in engagements for European telecom companies in launching their data and Internet services. Toro has an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and holds an MBA from the Universidad Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain.

Connie Rheams

A hospitality industry veteran, Connie Rheams is responsible for a range of strategic corporate initiatives at AltiusPAR, including partner relations and global business development and marketing.

Rheams comes to AltiusPAR from Cendant Corporation, where she was most recently vice president of Cendant’s Travel Distribution Hospitality and Leisure Group. At Cendant, her responsibilities included business development, management of all sales initiatives in the Americas, and implementation of other Cendant company and partner programs. Prior to Cendant, she was president of TRUST Inc., which was acquired by Cendant in 2002.

Prior to TRUST, Rheams spent 14 years at AMR Corporation, where she held various management positions at American Airlines, TeleService Resources, and SABRE. While at AMR, Rheams served on the Latin American Task Force at American Airlines, led the hospitality division at TeleService Resources, and served as the head of product marketing for SABRE Internet Travel Solutions.

Victor Vargas

Victor Vargas is responsible for the technology development strategy at AltiusPAR, ensuring that all systems are state-of-the-art and helping to ensure that the technology addresses all customer needs. Prior to joining AltiusPAR, Vargas was the chief architect for Grupo Posadas’ patent-pending central inventory systems (ICP) and distribution technology platform, the core technologies behind the AltiusPAR revenue and inventory management product.

During his seven years at Grupo Posadas, Vargas led strategic IT projects, played an active role in managing and architecting the solutions, and also helped to define, promote, and implement the standards, methodologies and best practices behind all software initiatives.

Prior to Grupo Posadas, Vargas worked for seven years in Grupo Financiero Serfin (currently Santander-Serfin), Mexico’s third largest banking institution, holding regional and nationwide consumer credit managerial positions.

Vargas graduated with honors from the Universidad ISEC, where he received an undergraduate degree in computer science engineering. He is also in the final stages of the MBA program at the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM).

Cicialli Rivas

Cicialli Rivas is responsible for designing, implementing and controlling all AltiusPAR’s internal business processes, including finance, HR and legal. Prior to AltiusPAR, Rivas was the financial planning manager for Posadas, where she actively participated in risk management, investment and analysis activities. Rivas participated in the Bond placement that the company successfully implemented in 2004 in international markets, which set Posadas with a comfortable debt profile.

Prior to joining Grupo Posadas, Rivas worked in Tenaris (formerly Tubos de Acero de México) in the commercial and economic planning department qualifying in the high potential program of the company, the leading global manufacturer of seamless steel pipe products.

Rivas took part in the start up of a nonprofit Mexican company as the business development manager. Rivas has a BS in economics and graduated second in her class. She also holds a masters degree in finance from the EGADE (Escuela de Graduados en Administración y Dirección de empresas del ITESM).

Eduardo Llaguno

Eduardo Llaguno has 15 years experience in various companies spanning the private sector, from the development of system applications to the position of systems director (or CIO) of Grupo Posadas. He currently directs operations and customer care for AltiusPAR.

Llaguno was Grupo Posadas systems director and managed the system for sales, reservations and optimization of income. He developed and implemented the company’s ERP system using diverse shared services centers. Prior to Grupo Posadas, Llaguno worked for eight years at Softtek, the largest systems development company in LatinAmerica, where he managed areas such as atificial intelligence, multimedia, eLearning, Internet and new technologies.

Llaguno started his career in the UNAM’s Engineering Institute and directed for two years the ACM Siggraph Mexico City Chapter as the group’s president. Llaguno graduated with an electrical mechanical engineer degree from the UNAM (Autonomous National University of Mexico) Engineering program.

Salomon Than

Salomon Than is responsible for AltiusPAR's revenue management and distribution consulting and implementation. He has been a revenue management specialist, manager and consultant for more than seven and was a key contributor to the implementation of revenue management processes at Grupo Posadas.

Prior to joining Grupo Posadas and eventually AltiusPAR, Salomon began his career with American Express, where he was project manager for operations and helped to lead multifunctional teams in auality, reengineering and improvement and optimization projects.

Salomon holds a ME in operations research and industrial engineering from Cornell University, with a degree in systems engineering option. He also holds BS in industrial and systems engineering, and a diploma in marketing from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios superiores de Monterrey, Mexico, at which he also teaches as a professor for the undergraduate programs.