Hail to the New Chief
Lisa Plummer -- Tradeshow Week, 6/26/2008 11:23:00 AM
Smart City Networks has a new president. The event technology and telecommunications company chose Mark Haley, a 26-year veteran of the convention and event industry, to replace Paul Ashley, who will retire July 1 after eight years with the company.
Haley is no stranger to the convention industry, or to Smart City, having worked with the company during his three years as Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority vice president of facilities and director of customer experience. Prior to that, Haley spent 23 years with Aramark, holding a variety of operations positions and working his way up to executive vice president of its Convention & Cultural Attractions Group. He has lived in Las Vegas since the early 1980s.
“(My career path) gives me a unique perspective, coming from both the vendor-partner side and from the facility side,” Haley said. “I know the challenges of what the convention authority is trying to achieve, and … I have an understanding of what it is to be a building customer looking for support.”
Ashley said he’s known Haley for several years and has been impressed with his accomplishments at the LVCVA and Aramark. During the interview process, it quickly became apparent that Haley was a top contender to fill his shoes, Ashley said.
Ashley said, “He’s a great guy, and he gets it. He understands the balance that’s required to motivate team members to do their best.”
Since Haley’s first day on the job June 16, he said, it’s been a whirlwind of learning the company culture, meeting with key staff, familiarizing himself with Smart City’s current projects and issues and getting to know the members of the corporate office. Most importantly, Haley has been meeting with clients, and July and August will be dedicated to getting out in the field to meet with more of them, he said.
As a new leader with a steep learning curve, has Haley had a chance to think about Smart City’s future? It’s all about the customer, he said.
“Smart City recently made two significant acquisitions (Priority Networks and CCPI – Convention Communications Provisioners Inc.),” Haley said, “and there’s still some work to be done to figure out how to leverage the strengths of all three companies. No. 1 is continuing to refine that and working with the team here … but my vision would be that, no matter what system (customers) have, when they walk in the door, whatever building they’re in, they can plug in and not have any problems.”
Meanwhile, Ashley will depart Las Vegas for Trevor, Wis., to be closer to family and friends, but remain with Smart City as a member of its board of directors.
