VingCard Elsafe Promotes Bill Oliver to President - North America

DALLAS, TX, December 08, 2012 (Press-News.org) VingCard Elsafe, the global leader in hospitality security, announces the promotion of William J. (Bill) Oliver to the position of President-North America, effective January 1, 2013. Bill will continue as VingCard Elsafe's Vice President and General Manager for the North America region until the end of the year, and he will remain based out of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality's North America headquarters in the Dallas area.

One of the most respected executives in the hospitality technology sector, Oliver joined ASSA ABLOY Hospitality in July 2011 in a role created specifically for him. He was responsible for leading all sales and customer operations for VingCard Elsafe brands in the United States and Canada, streamlining operations and maximizing customer satisfaction through enhanced service and support. His appointment was the centerpiece of a renewed focus on improving customer service operations at VingCard Elsafe, and his dedication to fulfilling the rapidly changing technology needs of the global hospitality industry resulted in one of the company's most successful years ever.

"We have seen considerable improvement in our service delivery and customer focus since Bill joined our team last year, and he has made as significant impact on our customer satisfaction this year across North America," says Tim Shea, President of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality. "We anticipate another strong year in 2013, and Bill will help us maintain that positive momentum by ensuring our organizational goals remain aligned with customer needs and expectations."

ASSA ABOY Hospitality's core brands include VingCard electronic locking solutions, Elsafe digital in-room safes and Orion by VingCard Elsafe energy management systems.

Oliver's resume is impressive. During his successful 27-year career, he has also managed a wide range of hotel properties, from premium-branded, full-service hotels and casino resorts to independent boutique hotels with prestigious groups such as Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Doubletree. In addition, he has held Board of Director level positions with various Hotel/Motel Associations and regional Convention and Visitors Bureaus.

Before joining VingCard Elsafe, he founded and headed Evolve Hospitality Group, a successful hotel industry consultancy that assisted both global manufacturers and hospitality companies with business development, financial and operational improvements. He also logged more than six years as an executive for hospitality security technology vendors, including a stint as Vice President of Sales & Operations for North America and EMEA. Other previous roles include senior management positions with prestigious hospitality organizations, such as Noble Investment Group, Winegardner & Hammons, Vista Host, Inc., and Peabody Hotel Group, among others.

Oliver holds a B.S. from the University of Florida. For more information, please visit http://www.vingcardelsafe.com.

About VingCard Elsafe
The world leader in hotel security technology, ASSA ABLOY Hospitality has products installed in more than 42,000 properties worldwide, securing in excess of 7 million hotel rooms and is part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, a publicly listed company. VingCard provides numerous electronic locking system solutions, including traditional magnetic-stripe, smartcard systems and the latest RFID electronic locks compatible with the main ISO standards: ISO 14.443A (MIFARE), ISO 14.443B, ISO15.693 and NFC-compatible (Near Field Communication), fully integrated PMS interface software solutions, as well as the world leader in wireless online locking solutions for hotels based on ZigBee secured open platform. VingCard has worldwide service and support in more than 166 countries. Elsafe provides the only UL-listed (1037) hotel safe series on the market today in keypad and card-based models. Elsafe Safes include a UL-listed internal power outlet to support recharging of laptops and camcorders, full wireless online capabilities and RFID versions compatible with VingCard system. Elsafe customers also enjoy the same worldwide service and support. Orion by VingCard Elsafe is the new Energy Management Solution that reduces energy consumption, ensures guest comfort and contributes to improve hotels green initiatives. The ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Group is dedicated to the hospitality industry. For more information on VingCard Elsafe, visit http://www.vingcardelsafe.com