Dive Brief:

• Trent York, former CFO of online vacation rental marketplace Vrbo, has moved to Austin, Tex.-based wellness services provider Restore Hyper Wellness, the health company announced last week.

• York will lead finance, accounting and HR teams at Restore, whose primary offerings include cryotherapy, infrared saunas and IV-drip therapy, among others. 

• He brings nearly 20 years of finance leadership experience at high-growth startups. He spent 14 years at Vrbo, formerly HomeAway, including five years as CFO.

Dive Insight:

Most recently, York was CFO of the global Retail group of Expedia, Vrbo’s parent company. In his role at Vrbo, which Expedia acquired in 2015 when it was still HomeAway, York was responsible for strategic and financial planning, financial accounting, and global team leadership. 

At HomeAway, York worked on the biggest private equity fundraise at the time; HomeAway raised $250 million at the peak of the housing crisis. Three years later, he helped it pull off a successful IPO, 

“Getting the opportunity, again, to experience that journey with a company I’m passionate about is exciting,” he told CFO Dive. “It’s something I was looking forward to, and so far, it’s living up to every expectation.”

“Bringing Trent onto the Restore team is incredibly exciting,” Restore co-founder and CEO Jim Donnelly said in a statement. “Vrbo is one of the great Austin success stories, and Trent played a key role throughout its growth. We look forward to having Trent’s expertise and passion as we continue our trajectory.”

Restore, which focuses on such services as cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, infrared saunas and IV-drip therapy, brought in a $32 million revenue last year, representing 141% year-over-year growth. 

The firm recently took over Vrbo's former offices at Austin coworking site Penn Field, growing from approximately 7,500 square feet to over 16,000 square feet.

Restore currently operates over 80 locations across 29 states. Its services are aimed at addressing chronic pain, injury recovery, athletic performance, enhanced immunity, and healthspan longevity, it said.

“Restore is the fastest-growing proactive wellness company in the nation, and I am humbled to join an incredible team in revolutionizing how we approach our health and aging,” York wrote in a LinkedIn post. “The mission is inspiring: helping people to feel better and do more of what they love.” 

Restore’s mission of providing accessible, healthier outcomes moved York to leave Vrbo; he’s not concerned about the travel landscape. 

“[The move] wasn’t about leaving travel, or being worried about travel,” he said. “Travel’s coming back, and it will come back.”

Rather, Restore provided an opportunity “to really jump in and help a young company grow and scale, and achieve the potential of a global brand, much like I did with HomeAway,” York said.

York, who started as an auditor at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young, has been in finance leadership in start-ups since 2003. 

“I knew I wanted to do something and get into a business that resonated with me, and that I felt more ownership of,” he said. 

Restore currently operates 75 franchise stores and 10 corporate stores, and it’s quickly growing, York said. “That’s a highly predictable business model, from a franchise perspective.” Last year, the chain administered over 1 million services; it expects to surpass 1.5 million this year.

In terms of a potential IPO, York said the company is considering its options. 

“We’re trying to build a company here that is durable, long-lasting and really focused on the mission: making hyper-wellness accessible and affordable to everybody across the globe,” he said. “That’s what we’re focused on. There are lots of opportunities to grow, and whatever happens down the road, in terms of financing opportunities, we’re just trying to create business that will give us all opportunities we need."