Management Team

Sharples co-founded HomeAway with Carl Shepherd in February 2005. Since then, he has raised more than $405 million and acquired 11 leading vacation rental websites, to create the worldwide industry leader. 

Sharples is the former president and chief executive officer of IntelliQuest Information Group, a supplier of marketing data and research to Fortune 500 technology companies.  While there, he pioneered the development of subscription-based statistical research services and electronic survey systems.  He also completed two successful public offerings and the subsequent sale of Intelliquest.

An expert in technology brand strategy, Sharples has counseled several leading companies, including Apple, Microsoft and Dell.  He also created the IntelliQuest Brand Tech Forum Conference, which became an industry-leading symposium, and served as a consultant at Bain & Company early in his career.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in math and economics from Colby College and a master’s degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Brian's favorite thing about working for HomeAway:  "The people who work at HomeAway are amazing and inspiring. We’ve been successful in attracting people who are passionate about our business, and seek to always make the experience better for our customers. There is no shortage of good ideas to make our service better for both owners and travelers, and as a result we continually challenge each other to push our limits and get better. That makes for a dynamic culture and a very rewarding work life."

Harris joined HomeAway in October 2005 as COO and continues to lead the company’s day-to-day global operations. 

Previously, he co-founded and served as chief executive officer of Handtech, Inc., which provided e-commerce sites and back-office infrastructure to independent technology consultants and value-added resellers.

Harris has also served as president of Dell Computer International where he was responsible for launching the company’s first overseas venture, which he grew into a 100-country operation. 

Earlier in his career, Harris was European marketing manager for Entre Computer Centers (Europe), and served as financial controller and deputy managing director for Currys Microsystems.  He is a qualified accountant (UK) and graduated with honors from Coventry University with a bachelor’s degree in business.

Andrew's personal experience with owning and renting out a vacation rental:  "Having observed the great experience of hundreds of thousands of owners who advertise on our sites, I have recently purchased a vacation rental home in the Rocky Mountains. I am excited and looking forward to defraying some of the cost with successful renting."

Shepherd co-founded HomeAway with CEO Brian Sharples and oversees the company's worldwide corporate development efforts including mergers, acquisitions and key partnerships.

For six years, Shepherd served as the chief operating officer of Hoover’s Online.  Under his management, the business developed into a leading source for business information online, culminating in an IPO in 1999 and the eventual sale of the company to Dun & Bradstreet in March 2003.
 
His career began as a consultant, working for what is now Accenture and establishing a practice based in the advertising industry.  He also served as chief financial officer of magazine publishers Texas Monthly, Inc. and Hanley-Wood, Inc.  Shepherd holds a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Texas Christian University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

What Carl looks for when choosing a vacation rental:  "We have three boys, who are five and seven years apart, so it is not a vacation for mom and dad unless we have at least three separate sleeping areas and no less than two TVs. We like roomy vacation homes with great views where the kids can spread out.  Suzanne prefers not cook on vacation, but we love having kitchens available so that the kids can serve themselves breakfast as they wake up."

Buhrdorf leads the large development and engineering teams at HomeAway. 

He previously held the position of vice president of engineering at BetweenMarkets, a platform for ensuring B2B information quality, and held the same title at both Salion and Excite.  In the ‘90s, Buhrdorf both owned and consulted with a variety of companies, where he developed software solutions for corporations including Tandem Computers and Money Star Communications. He has also taught training classes, and authored white papers and case studies about the technology industry.
  
Buhrdorf earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin.

The one thing Ross wants to share about himself with our customers:   "I am also a vacation rental owner so I understand what it takes--I have to eat my own dog food so I recognize when it tastes bad."

Atchison joined HomeAway as chief financial officer in August 2006 and is responsible for managing all financial aspects of the company.  She has more than 27 years of finance and operations experience, including expertise in financial management and reporting, securities filings, facilities management and legal and human resources.  This experience earned her a title of CFO of the Year for a large private Austin company in 2009.

Prior to HomeAway, Atchison was CFO of Infoglide Software, where during her tenure revenue grew more than 160 percent.  Likewise, in her positions as senior vice president and CFO at Hoover’s Online, Atchison helped lead the business from a private to a publicly-owned company, increasing revenues by ten times and was instrumental in the sale of the company to Dun & Bradstreet in 2003.

She has also served as vice president and CFO for Travelogix Inc., a senior manager for Ernst & Young LLP and spent time in private practice.  Atchison holds a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting from Stephen F. Austin University.

Lynn's favorite thing about working for HomeAway:  "The challenges of a growing business and making an impact on a new industry."

Halloran is one of the company’s first employees, and has been with HomeAway since its inception in February 2005. He is primarily responsible for leading the roll-out of the HomeAway brand experience worldwide and delivering our brands into new geographies.

After spending four years on the East Coast at Goldman Sachs in New York, Halloran moved to San Francisco in 1999 for a position at eBay.  During his six years with the company he held senior positions in finance, brand management and international strategy.  He was instrumental in not only expanding eBay into Europe and Asia, but also growing company revenue to more than $5 billion. 

Halloran is a graduate of Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po) and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Justin's favorite vacation rental memory:  "After a week of seeing and doing everything great in Paris, Delaney, my 3-year-old daughter, said her favorite part was our vacation rental!"

After three years of successfully leading HomeAway European operations, de Belloy moved to Austin in August 2009 to oversee the U.S. HomeAway brands, including HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com

He joined the company in 2006 after serving as Managing Director for France and Benelux at Match.com, the world's largest online dating site. While there, he launched the company in, and captured leading market shares of, three countries.

Previously, de Belloy founded and led European online photo site Fotango.com, which was acquired by Canon in 2001. He also contributed to the successful launch of eBay in the U.K. and spent several years working in the telecoms sector at Alcatel, manufacturing optical fiber cables in France and China.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and a degree in mechanical and industrial engineering from ICAM, in France.

The sights, sounds and smells of Alexis' ideal vacation:  "In the winter, your eyes are set on a beautiful slope of fresh powder snow. All is quiet but a light mountain breeze and the soft “swoosh” of skis carving beautiful curves in the snow. In the summer, foliage rustles in the breeze, ripples form on the water and soon whitecaps appear, bringing the promise of a great windsurfing day! "

Friedmann joined HomeAway in June 2009 to lead the European business.

With years of experience in the travel industry, Friedmann most-recently held the position of Chairman of the Board for Opodo France, a leading Pan-European online travel agency.  During her tenure, she launched and grew Opodo.fr, which now serves more than 1.3 million clients and has grown to be one of the three biggest travel agencies in France.

Prior to Opodo, she held leadership positions at online auction company, QXL-Ricardo, and European tour operator, Groupe Marmara, where she was pivotal in executing successful e-commerce strategies.

She started her career in Germany creating the travel agency, Adventure Tours, which specialized in discount flights, and launching a tour operator called Mosaic Reisen.  Friedmann was a devoted student, earning her undergrad and master’s degrees from University of Bielefeld and her Doctorate from the University of Bremen.

What's most important to Petra when choosing vacation accommodations:  "The most-important feature I look for is a view-- it's a holiday for your eyes!"

Slagter leads the HomeAway Partner Channels and is responsible for the company’s global Property Manager and Real Estate businesses. He joined HomeAway in August 2008 after consulting for the company.  

Before joining HomeAway, he co-founded Handtech, Inc. alongside HomeAway chief operating officer, Andrew Harris.

In 1987, Slagter joined PC’s Ltd, which later became known as Dell Computer Corporation. There he served as joint head of Europe and was instrumental in growing the UK and European businesses.

Slagter graduated with honors from Coventry University in England with a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing.

The sights, sounds and smells of Martin's ideal vacation:  "The crash of the cold ocean - the gentleness of the green hills in Ireland framed by the Kerry Mountains with Macgillcuddy Reeks shrouded in mist. Rain in the air, strong wind in your face as the sound of laughter and singing promises friendship and good times at the local pub. "

As the director of the HomeAway Owner Community, Karpinski leverages the company’s leading position in vacation rentals to shape improvements in and promote the industry. She also continues her work as an independent writer and speaker.

Karpinski is the author of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner and Profit from Your Vacation Home Dream, and is a frequent television and radio show guest.  Her books, seminars and media appearances have helped thousands of owners manage and profit from vacation rentals.

Where Christine has stayed in a vacation rental:  "I stay in vacation rental homes everywhere I travel, for both business and pleasure. If I’ve been there, I’ve stayed in a vacation rental home -- from big cities like New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and London, to well-known beach destinations like Hawaii and the Caribbean to lesser-known areas like Lake Lanier, Georgia and the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. "