# Matthew Avril steps down as CEO



## nuwermj (Mar 4, 2017)

Matthew Avril steps down as CEO due to family and personal reasons.

Current Chief Operating Officer, Michael Flaskey, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...esorts-Announces-Senior-Management-Promotions

Michael Flaskey is, prima facie, the overseer of DRI's high pressure tactics. In January 2011 Mr. Flaskey became DRI's Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing for North America. In March 2014 he became Executive Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. In other words, Mr. Flaskey has overseen the sales department for many years, during which the high pressure sales tactics were systematically applied. This fact gives me reason to pause regrading my hope that the company intends to clean up the sales department.


----------



## RLS50 (Mar 4, 2017)

nuwermj said:


> Matthew Avril steps down as CEO due to family and personal reasons.
> 
> Current Chief Operating Officer, Michael Flaskey, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer.
> 
> ...


Wow, incredibly disappointing.  So much for DRI getting a Starwood infusion of strategy and style.

Now it seems we are destined to be stuck in the same ole, same ole.

Of course, such a rapid departure raises all sorts of questions.  The family and personal reasons rationale is used as cover for almost any reason a senior executive leaves a company, so one can never tell for sure what the real back story is.   Sometimes that is the real reason, sometimes not.  But I have to wonder since the corporate culture of Starwood seemed so different from the corporate culture at Diamond if he came in and realized that he would never have the ability to make the changes he felt were required.

I guess we'll never know.


----------

