Internet Entrepreneur – Graeme Wood Wotif.com

Co-Founder of www.Wotif.com, online database of discount accommodation world-wide, Graeme Wood started off as an IT professional in Brisbane Australia and at one time an egg farmer when there was a downturn in the IT industry.

With a burning desire to create something new and strong entrepreneurial drive, in 2000 Graeme asked himself “What if the online world could be turned into a new distribution channel for selling hotel rooms?” Despite the many skeptics, Graeme took his idea about marketing discount accommodation online and made it work.

In only five years Wotif.com was turning over an incredible $350 million annually, with the 100,000 bookings they were receiving a month from the 6000 accommodations on its books worldwide. Now Wotif.com attracts almost 3.2 million visits every month, with customers making over 200,000 bookings through their 28-day booking window in 44 countries.

Graeme and his team have grown Wotif.com into a global company with a team of over 145 employees worldwide. He’s even gone as far as listing Wotif.com on the Australian Stock Exchange in June 2006, and claims it to be a major career highlight.

Since starting wotif.com Graeme Wood has been named Queenslander of the Year for his achievements and his remarkable community work, including the donation of 10 per cent of his net worth to charity. Proving Graeme is an excellent example of a successful internet entrepreneur and showing the incredible possibilities of a web business.