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n occasion as momentous as a 40th
anniversary calls for reflection, even as
it’s important to keep an eye on the
future. Throughout 2016, Interval
International is celebrating its ori-
gins and honoring the qualities that
have kept it vital and relevant over the decades.
As I’ve considered my own personal journey
with Interval, and now, ILG, prominent in my
thoughts are the influences that have informed
the way I’ve approached my work, my career,
and, for that matter, my life. Inspiration comes
from many sources — and sometimes, it simply
reinforces things you already know to be true.
Constructive Confrontation
Andy Grove, who passed away this year, was for-
mer CEO and chairman of the board of Intel, and a
pioneer in the development of semiconductors
and tech innovation. He was renowned for a man-
agement style termed
constructive confrontation
.
(Some have had harsher names for it.) Grove
authored several books, including a title that has
particular resonance for me:
Only the Paranoid
Survive
.
Now, those of you who know me well may be
smiling at that. No one has ever accused me of
being too optimistic, and I’ve taken some good-
natured ribbing for my oftentimes glass-half-empty
perspective.
But behind Grove’s threats-are-everywhere
outlook, he understood something that I have
always appreciated: Change is inevitable — and
rapid change has become the norm. And only by
being ever-vigilant to these external forces —
whether competition, market conditions, technolog-
ical advancements, or regulatory developments —
will companies remain relevant in an environment
that reshapes itself quickly and dramatically. Facing
what Grove described as the strategic inflection
point, you either adapt — or fail.
Radical Transformation
Like many of its farsighted developer partners,
Interval anticipated the challenges facing our
industry for years. I’m proud of the way the
company has boldly embraced radical transforma-
tion — including ownership changes, economic
upheavals, and evolving consumer demands —
while remaining dedicated to the interests and suc-
cess of its developer affiliates. In 2008 — at what
could surely have been considered a strategic
inflection point — ILG took its place on the Nasdaq
exchange, and began diversifying its business
model through a series of strategic acquisitions, as
the shared ownership and rental landscape has
consolidated and evolved.
Most recently, ILG acquired Vistana Signature
Experiences, the vacation ownership business
spun off from Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. This positions us to further capital-
ize on industry trends and achieve long-term
sustainable growth, while serving the needs of our
constituencies. I think Grove would have approved.
Team Spirit
Another interest that has played big in my life is
football. I wasn’t even 10 years old when I began
my long love affair with the sport. And since then,
numerous players and coaches have inspired me.
But never so much as when I was a 13-year-old
linebacker as part of the South Miami Grey Ghost
football program. I dreamed of being a quarter-
back, but Coach Bill Whatley taught me that the
game is
always
about the team, not individual
stars. As compassionate as he was tough, Coach
Whatley drilled into us that everyone has an
important role to play for the good of the common
cause — a lesson that has served me well in life,
whether on the football field or in the boardroom.
To this day, Coach’s message is a big part of how
I think, and how I lead.
Pursuing My Passion
On a personal note, I lost my father this past
March. He was 93, and if anyone can be said to
have lived a full life, it was Dr. Norman Nash.
During his 50-plus years of practice as a pediatri-
cian, he treated countless children over three
generations, and was a founding physician of sev-
eral Miami-area hospitals.
Besides serving as an admirable role model
for his own children, my father taught me that one
of the secrets to success is to have passion for
what you do. I haven’t cared for patients as he
did, but I have certainly found the exhilaration that
diving wholeheartedly into my work has brought
me over the years. And I feel great satisfaction in
the fact that I’ve played an active role in an indus-
try that has helped deliver memorable vacations
to millions of people. As with my father, my work
fully engages me, even after nearly 40 years. And I
look forward to continued fulfillment in the years
to come.
4
VIEWPOINT
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
JULY – SEPTEMBER 2016
BY
Craig M. Nash
CHAIRMAN,
PRESIDENT, AND CEO
INTERVAL LEISURE GROUP
Inspiration comes
from many
sources — and
sometimes, it
simply reinforces
things you
already know to
be true.
Model Behaviors