Meet Our
Fearless Leaders.

Heidi Albignac is the VP of organizational development at IDeaS. Little-known fact: she grew up wanting to be a veterinarian. Then she began working as a dishwasher at a local bistro and hospitality stole her heart. Heidi started at IDeaS as a client training specialist and held various positions within client relations, eventually becoming director of client services. After an already hugely successful 25-year career with IDeaS, Heidi was promoted to VP of Organizational Development in August 2022. And, of course, she still loves animals—especially dogs.

As the MVP of Major Accounts at IDeaS, Jamieson swings for the fences by leading the Account Management efforts for many of the top-tier clients in the hospitality industry. With a keen eye for growth, he made his debut at IDeaS in 2016 and immediately hit a home run by becoming the top “New Sales Professional” at the company. Before that, Jamieson spent 15 years in sales and hospitality, playing for organizations such as Marriott, Destination Hotels, and Omni Hotels, and was recognized as a “Top 25 Minds in Sales, Marketing & Revenue Management” by HSMAI. But, if baseball isn’t your cup of tea, he always loves a round of golf too.

Brian Douty joined IDeaS in 2013, bringing more than 20 years of experience directing, integrating, and transforming financial operations in the tech and energy industries. He leads IDeaS’ global corporate strategy, finance, accounting, and admin teams—a rowdier bunch than you’d expect. Brian has previously served in leadership roles at LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters, and Hess Corporation. He has an intimidating level of experience with the SaaS business model, international operations, and financial systems integration. Extremely partial to miniature dachshunds, Brian also enjoys biking, golfing, wine drinking, pizza eating, and escaping the cold winters of Minnesota to Cabo.

Meet Craig Eister, a dog-lover, actor, and DEI advocate with a passion for innovation. As a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience in travel and hospitality, Craig heads up our team’s efforts to provide a best-in-class experience for our clients. Not only was he named one of HSMAI’s “Top 25 Minds in Sales & Marketing” in 2014, but he also earned a certificate in Leading Diversity from Northwestern University. Craig’s creativity and drive extend beyond his career, as he and his husband converted their basement into a senior dog rescue kennel and spa. And, as if that wasn’t impressive enough, Craig wrote, produced, and directed his own play in 2021. Is there anything Craig can’t do?

Cheryl Hawksworth leads a team of highly skilled sales professionals covering the diverse markets of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She has shaped the growth of IDeaS across the territory since 2006 and developed deep industry and market knowledge that has contributed to the incredible success of the IDeaS brand in EMEA. Her previous roles were in senior revenue management across multiple international hotels in addition to working in the luxury-spa industry in a commercial role. As a handbag aficionado, shopping centers and airports are dangerous places for Cheryl.

Ali Jarosh has the pleasure of leading the Americas Account Management Directors at IDeaS. She thrives on working alongside her team to forge rock-solid and deeply trusting relationships with our clients. Ali has spent the whole of her career in SaaS companies building teams that are united in curiosity for learning each client’s ‘why.’ Above all, she loves spotting the magic formula that turns clients into passionate advocates. Ali is a bona-fide nerd, devouring books, podcasts, news, and lively conversation. She is happiest near water and has a love for travel, luxe hotels, and dogs.

Arguably the best-dressed IDeaS exec, Mohamed “Mo” Khanat brought more than 20 years of hotel and hospitality technology experience upon joining IDeaS in 2012. The man’s resume reads like a manual on how to succeed as a client account leader in hotel tech. Years as a DORM for Accor Canada and leadership roles with Travelocity give Mo a unique ability to deliver the best possible experience and outcomes for IDeaS’ clients. When he’s not creating lasting client relationships, look for Mo being measured for a new blazer or translating kph to mph in his adopted home of Minneapolis.

A natural contrarian, Klaus Kohlmayr challenges the status quo, questions strategic processes, stimulates thought-provoking conversations, and reinvigorates the future of the hotel industry on a daily basis. He’s also a pretty nice guy and is open to being challenged himself. With IDeaS, he started the company’s global consulting division. He also pioneered the industry’s first group price optimization and function space revenue management proof-of-concepts in a real-world environment. In another life, Klaus led IHG’s revenue management and pricing in Asia-Pacific. Oh, and he’s a trained chef and will make you a mean apfelstrudel.

The similarities between running a family farm and managing a global hospitality company are not lost on Katy. Both require a passion for problem-solving, communication, and innovative thinking to manage complex operations that involve many moving parts. Both also call for effective management, being proactive and taking preventative measures to minimize the risk of issues arising. Katy’s diverse skillset and experience in marketing, communication, corporate learning, technology, and project management make her the perfect fit for either environment. And her ability to provide exceptional care and service – whether to human or animal – ensures everyone’s long-term success.

Sibylle Luger leads a team of passionate industry experts to develop, nurture, and grow IDeaS’ client relationships. Having spent her entire career in hospitality, she loves to interact with people, uncovering what really matters to develop strong, lasting relationships—while keeping things in perspective. Sibylle joined IDeaS in 2007 after wearing many hotel hats from housekeeping to F&B and revenue management. She’s lived in nine countries across Europe and the Americas. Now as a token Brit, she’s developed the guilty pleasure of watching Downton Abbey with her family, and she finds escape by spending time with her horses.

Michael McCartan joined IDeaS in 2023 to lead growth and new business efforts in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. As an internal champion for the EMEA team, Michael draws upon his wealth of experience gathered through 20 years in the hospitality and travel technology industry. A well-regarded speaker in the hotel technology space, Michael earned a reputation as a sought-after influencer in global hotel revenue management. When he’s not leading the sales team to new heights or speaking onstage at an industry event, Michael enjoys carrying his team to victory on the field hockey pitch.

Einstein inspired—and just as mathematically obsessed—Dr. Ravi Mehrotra is the kind of guy who scribbles groundbreaking revenue-optimization algorithms on the back of napkins while traveling to visit IDeaS clients. After teaching at NC State and Carnegie Mellon University, Ravi co-founded IDeaS in 1989, building the route optimization platform for Delta Airlines, previously Northwest. Fast-forward a few decades, and his scientific endeavors show no sign of slowing. In his spare time, Ravi enjoys globetrotting with his wife and borrowing money from fellow execs to play blackjack.

Sanjay Nagalia is exactly who you want leading your global org’s product development, implementation, and support initiatives. He co-founded IDeaS with fellow computer scientist and good friend Ravi back in ’89. As their startup flourished, Sanjay served as VP of products and services until 2001. He ventured off to co-found Apex Decisions, a retail revenue management company, where he served as chief operating officer, before returning to IDeaS in 2012. The band was back together, and the reunion tour is still going strong.

Jurgen Ortelee leads a top-notch team of revenue optimization professionals across the Asia-Pacific region. He is passionate about statistical analysis and data-driven decision-making with extensive experience developing and implementing hospitality revenue management strategies. Jurgen joined IDeaS in 2016 to provide his business expertise and guidance to hotels, casinos, holiday parks, and other hospitality companies. He previously held positions at Pan Pacific Hotels leading revenue management and distribution, Shangri-La Hotels globally and IHG APAC heading up their revenue management function.

Garth Peterson leads a global sales team of committed professionals invested in helping hoteliers drive profitability through better revenue performance. For over 15 years, Garth traveled the world while doing his hospitality technology work with IDeaS. He serves on the Americas Leadership Board of HSMAI and is an accredited Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME). In 2012, Garth was recognized as one of HSMAI’s Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Management. But he’s more than just a great mind, mind you—Garth once tried out for television’s American Gladiators. He also loves cats.

K.S. Prashant leads IDeaS’ Global Technology Center in Pune, India and its regional operations. He brings a wealth of experience in strategic business development, service delivery, and global leadership to the executive conference room table. Prior to joining IDeaS, Prashant held senior-level positions with KPIT Technologies and Parametric Technology Corporation, and was co-founder at Auric System Integrators. He holds an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Utah where he wrote his thesis on the design of perceptual threshold models using Gabor decompositions for image compression—you know, pretty standard stuff.

From Mumbai to Minneapolis, Bijal Shah has cemented a reputation as a master of all things software development. He joined IDeaS in 1998 to provide his unique leadership and ambitious vision. Quickly demonstrating a tremendous command of architecture and design, he became a valued leader within the organization. Bijal led the charge on a wide range of initiatives. A relentlessly strategic thinker and dev authority, he helped spearhead all IDeaS’ leading products and played an instrumental role in transforming IDeaS into a revenue technology leader.

Milkman, pizza delivery, demolition crew member, leading sock salesman at the GAP—Russ began his career with a wide variety of professional experiences. Following graduation from the University of Georgia, Russ combined his data science degree and people skills to forge a successful career in consumer insights, marketing/pricing optimization, and supply chain analytics. After holding leadership positions at ACNielsen, Teradata, Hewlett Packard, and IDeaS, Russ briefly left IDeaS but returned later as the chief sales and growth officer. In his free time, Russ enjoys studying history and playing the blues on his electric guitar with his bandmates. Needless to say, this guy knows how to rock and roll.

David Warman leads IDeaS’ global Account Management, Client Operations, and Consulting teams. With a 30+ year track record driving customer experience marketing and revenue optimization across the hospitality industry, he has served in executive roles with some of the world’s most prestigious brands including Four Seasons, IHG, and Hilton. David believes in the power of experiences to create remembered moments that are the foundation for lasting connections and partnership—“lasting value is unlocked when people and technology join together to create more!” David’s latest passion is connecting with nature, so watch for him out hiking, paddling, or canoeing the great Minnesota outdoors.