When Ariane Gorin steps into the role of Expedia Group CEO in May, she will enter the position during a pivotal time for the company, which recently completed a yearslong overhaul under the watch of outgoing CEO Peter Kern.
Starting in late 2019, Expedia’s brands were consolidated and its teams were streamlined. A single technology platform was built for all brands, and, in the final phase, seven loyalty programs became the singular One Key starting last July.
Kern called the overhaul “one of the most audacious and ambitious transformations I think a company of our size has ever attempted.”
Wall Street, closely following how the changes affect Expedia, has already noted the critical timing of Gorin’s takeover.
“The likelihood for success or failure of these initiatives in our view depends on management,” UBS analyst Stephen Ju said in a note. The CEO transition comes in what he called “a pivotal year for Expedia as it switches to offense.”
Gorin has already shown her chops on the…
