Mews, a cloud-based software-as-a-service and fintech platform that serves the hospitality industry, has appointed Steve Cakebread to the company’s board.
Cakebread led the financial teams that took Salesforce, Pandora and Yext to IPO and is the author of “The IPO Playbook: An Insider’s Perspective on Taking Your Company Public and How to Do It Right.” Cakebread serves on the board of Bill.com, which went public in December 2019, and sat on the boards of SolarWinds and eHealth. Earlier in his career, he was CFO for Autodesk, VP of finance for Silicon Graphics (now SGI) and director of finance at Hewlett-Packard.
“Steve’s capital markets experience is renowned, having led Salesforce, Pandora and Yext through IPOs and beyond,” Mews CEO Matt Welle said in a statement. “He has a deep understanding of building teams, governance and accountability, which will be instrumental in our growth journey. We are delighted that Steve joins the board at such a crucial time in our growth.”
“Steve is a seasoned leader with phenomenal experience leading financial teams to success,” Mews Founder Richard Valtr added. “His invaluable knowledge and strategic oversight are exactly what we need to navigate Mews’ next chapter, support our aggressive growth plans, and cement our position as the market leader in cloud hospitality.”
Over the past 12 months, Mews has achieved a valuation crossing $1.2 billion, seen a 250 percent increase in customers in North America and achieved more than 25 million check-ins at hotels worldwide. Mews recently announced $100 million in new financing from Vista Credit Partners to further fuel its organic growth and M&A program through its investment arm, Mews Ventures.
“Mews has a colossal opportunity in the hospitality software and payments markets, sized at over $20 billion, driven by widespread adoption of cloud-based technology,” Cakebread said. “Mews has achieved market penetration in core geographies, serving more than 5,500 hospitality brands worldwide, and is well poised to become the market leader. A key enabler of the company’s success is its marketplace which sees over 1,000 integrations on its platform, offering hoteliers the best solutions to build tailored tech stacks for their needs.
“Mews has the people and the passion to deliver on its mission and transform hospitality and beyond,” he continued. “The team is driving impressive product development and flawless execution, powering its growth trajectory. I am excited to be a part of Mews’ continued success and to work with the leadership team to accelerate the company’s next phase.”