Skift Take
It will be a new era at Expedia Group with Ariane Gorin taking charge.
Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern will step down from his post and Ariane Gorin will succeed him, effective May 13.
Gorin is currently president of Expedia for Business, and will take a seat on an expanded board of directors, effective February 12. To make room for Gorin, Expedia Group expanded the board to 13 members, from a dozen previously.
When she takes the CEO post on May 13, she will also become a member of the board’s executive committee.
The company announced the changes Thursday after market hours.
In its announcement, Expedia Group said Kern, who took the CEO post in 2020, will continue to serve as vice chairman and a member of the board. He will assist Gorin during the transition, the company said.
“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to lead Expedia Group as we build on the foundations established by Peter, our leadership team, and our global workforce,” Gorin said in a statement. “Leading our multibillion-dollar B2B business has been an incredible experience and I look forward to even greater growth ahead for the entire Company. It’s an exciting time in the Company’s history, and I’m energized by the opportunities ahead for our employees, travelers, and partners.”
Expedia Group Chairman Barry Diller, the company’s senior executive, said in a statement that he sought an internal candidate to succeed Kern, and determined Gorin was the top choice after the board conducted “a comprehensive search.”
Kern guided Expedia Group through the pandemic, securing financing to ensure there was enough cash to get through it. He launched the company’s new loyalty program, One Key, which unified an array of previous programs.
Kern also helped reshape the company during his tenure, deleting several brands, and reorganizing disparate brand teams that sometime worked at cross-purposes. He also guided a technology transition for the company, bringing several major brands, including Hotels.com and Vrbo, onto a common technology platform.
Gorin in recent years has been president of Expedia for Business, the company’s B2B arm which has been expanding rapidly and is responsible for a big chunk of the company’s revenue and profits.
Ariane Gorin at Skift Europe Forum
