by ATLANTA — International Market Centers said William B. (Bill) Furlong will join the company June 1 in a newly created position as chief executive officer of Juniper, IMC’s new omnichannel B2B e-commerce platform.
“This strategic hire further underscores the companies’ investment in and commitment to the development of an industry-first, best-in-class B2B suite of software and marketplace solutions,” IMC said in a release. Together IMC and its owner Blackstone have invested more $100 million in product development and built a team of over 160 people in less than 18 months.
Furlong brings 25 years of digital innovation and leadership experience, including 11 years with Expedia Group that included oversight of the Americas business for the Vrbo/HomeAway vacation rental marketplace. During that time, he led teams that successfully developed industry-first digital tools for vacation rental management companies and powered a best-in-class digital marketplace for vacation rentals.
“We are thrilled to add such a seasoned digital executive with demonstrated talent and relatable expertise to the Juniper team,” said IMC Chairman and CEO Bob Maricich,
“In January 2020, with the acquisition of two industry-leading SaaS solutions, we announced our intent to build best-in-class digital tools and e-commerce opportunities for the industry. We pledged to invest $100 million in a platform that would transform the industry through delivery of a unique B2B omnichannel ecosystem. Since then, we have recruited over 100 new hires including developers, product designers, sales reps, and customer success teams, and we have launched several components of the Juniper software suite. Now, in our second year of development and approaching a major platform launch, the time is right to add an elevated leadership position with unique perspective and a bias for innovation and growth. Bill will be a tremendous asset to Juniper and to IMC.”
Furlong joined software company Escapia as CEO in 2006. Over a period of four years, he raised capital, “built a world class management team, developed a cloud-based vacation rental software platform, and enabled vacation rental companies to capitalize on the dramatic growth and digital transformation of the vacation rental business,” IMC said. Escapia was acquired by Vrbo/HomeAway in 2010, which was subsequently acquired by Expedia in 2015.
At Expedia, Furlong oversaw the Vrbo and HomeAway business across the Americas. Later, as vice president, North American Markets, he drove growth across the portfolio of Expedia brands, including Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Vrbo and Hotwire, IMC said.
“IMC’s omnichannel vision is bold and compelling, and I am intrigued and energized by the opportunity that Juniper presents,” Furlong said. “My entrepreneurial experience at Escapia taught me that listening to the customer and developing thoughtful and iterative business solutions is at the heart of digital innovation. The Juniper team is executing a unique and well-designed omnichannel solution that will help buyers and sellers alike build even stronger businesses during a period of dramatic change. I look forward to being part of that evolution.”
Furlong will report to Maricich and work closely with Juniper’s founding executive team, including President Eric Dean, Chief Technology Officer Max Fraser, and Senior Vice Presidents Alex Fraser and Brandon Ward.
