How It All Started
I got my start in hospitality through a student exchange program in Ocean City, Maryland, in 2000. My first job was clearing tables. A few years later, I was managing a high-end cocktail bar in Bordeaux and was named one of the top bartenders in France. I trained in classic French bar and hospitality service, where I learned how precision, consistency, and timing shape the guest experience. Those same principles still guide how I build and lead product teams today.
The Leadership
I’ve been leading teams since my early teens. I played competitive volleyball in Belarus’s Second Junior National Division and became team captain at 14. By 17, I had earned a national coaching license. In college, I led my faculty’s student union and coached the university volleyball team. These early experiences taught me how to build trust, manage pressure, and move teams toward a shared goal.
Hospitality Technology
In 2008, I joined TechSpokes (a Hawaii-based vacation rental marketing startup) as a co-founder. I spent 16 years as CTO, building direct booking engines, automation tools, and fully integrated platforms designed around TrackPMS. In 2024, I became CEO to scale that work and help vacation rental managers grow direct revenue, improve owner retention, and operate more efficiently with less tech friction.
The Cross-Domain Expertise
Along the way, I’ve combined software development with my background in linguistics, AI, and marketing. I also co-founded LAWXER, a legal tech company in Europe, where I lead AI development focused on contract analysis and language-based systems. This cross-domain experience helps me design tools that fit the way real businesses operate. At TechSpokes, I focus on building technology that performs, simplifies, and delivers measurable value to the vacation rental managers who rely on it every day.
Let’s Connect
You’ve made it through the whole page and still here. Let’s connect to stay in touch.
Serge Liatko
CEO of TechSpokes