Az Business and AZRE magazines announced the publications’ lists of the Most Influential Women in Arizona of 2023, including Catrina Wakefield, director of global business development at Casago. In celebration of the 12th anniversary of the Most Influential Women program, azbigmedia.com is profiling one of the Most Influential Women of 2023 each day leading up to the Most Influential Women of 2023 dinner and reception.
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The Most Influential Women for 2023 will be honored at a reception on Thursday, August 17 at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix. For sponsorship information, email Amy.Lindsey@azbigmedia.com. For information about the event honoring the Most Influential Women, email Lynette.Carrington@azbigmedia.com or click here. To buy tickets, click here.
Catrina Wakefield, director of global business development, Casago
BACKGROUND: Catrina Wakefield is an accomplished professional who has made significant strides in the vacation rental management industry. Her desire to help scale businesses started with Wakefield’s career at the Connor Group, where she excelled at acquiring multi-family communities in the south and southeast and enhancing their value for disposition. Since joining Casago in 2016, Catrina has been instrumental in driving growth and implementing positive change within the organization. As director of global business and development, she led the development and implementation of Casago’s franchise model. Since the onset of this program Casago has grown from nine locations to over 44 markets in the U.S. and Mexico. Her dedication and hard work has made her a valuable asset to the company and a respected figure in the industry.
CAREER PATH INSPIRATION: “I have always been inspired by strong women unafraid to break barriers and recognize success. However, in my earlier years in the vacation rental industry these figures weren’t apparent to me so I decided I wanted to become the one that other women would strive to emulate in this industry. It’s less of an effort to be recognized, however, to be someone that another person can look up to as a mentor.”
SOURCE OF PRIDE: “My focus has always been on small goals to hit a milestone. With that being said, when presented with the opportunity to be instrumental with the development of the Casago franchise business model, I couldn’t have been more excited. After two years of research, education and development I — along with my team — successfully rolled out the program in 2020 and have grown the company to a size that is now a nationally recognized player in the industry. This makes me proud!”
SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: “I cannot name just one, there are many. I value community and I gravitate towards strong women and men who see an opportunity and go after it. I have built a community of friends and mentors who either hold key leadership positions within their organization or are business owners themselves. We inspire each other. We support each other. We build each other up. We are there for each other. Without my community I would not be where I am today.”
SURPRISING FACT: “I’ve often heard people talk about me as being the outgoing, socializer who brings people together, however, I am truly an introvert by nature, which is funny because I work in an industry and role that requires me to interact and engage with people nonstop. I am terrified to speak on stage or in front of large groups of people. It literally makes me sick to my stomach and dizzy! I have made it my mission to step out of my comfort zone and become more at ease speaking in front of — or presenting to — large groups.”
