SEATTLE, April 24, 2026, 05:59 PDT
- Expedia Group has tapped Derek Andersen, who previously served as finance chief at Snap, to take over as CFO starting May 11.
- Scott Schenkel is sticking around until the first-quarter earnings call on May 7, then he’s out on May 16.
- EXPE slid 5.4% Thursday, trailing a handful of other online travel names.
Expedia Group tapped Derek Andersen, the ex-finance head at Snap Inc, as its new CFO. The move marks another top-level finance shakeup for the online travel giant—coming with less than three weeks to go before it posts first-quarter earnings.
Andersen steps in May 11, reporting directly to Chief Executive Ariane Gorin, according to the Seattle-based parent of Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. Scott Schenkel, who served as CFO for 16 months, is set to stay through the company’s earnings call on May 7 and will officially leave May 16.
Timing’s crucial here. Investors approach the earnings update still chewing over cost pressures, profit margin goals, and demand after Expedia’s February outlook pegged first-quarter gross bookings at $34.6 billion to $35.2 billion, with revenue expected between $3.32 billion and $3.37 billion.
Expedia shares dropped 5.4% to $250.37 on Thursday, lagging behind Booking Holdings, Tripadvisor, and MakeMyTrip as U.S. stocks broadly slipped, MarketWatch reported.
Expedia disclosed in a regulatory filing that Schenkel and the company mutually agreed on April 17 to his departure. The company pointed out the move wasn’t linked to any dispute over business operations, policies, or accounting practices.
Andersen, 48, served as Snap’s CFO from May 2019 until April 2026. Before that, he worked in finance at Amazon, where his responsibilities included the digital video division. Under his new employment agreement, he’s set to receive a $1 million annual salary, a $2.5 million cash signing bonus, and an initial restricted stock grant worth $17 million. SEC
Gorin described Andersen as the “right financial executive,” highlighting his background in tech-driven companies. For his part, Andersen cited Expedia’s “strong assets”—naming its technology, consumer brands, and sizable B2B travel unit. SEC
The move adds yet another change to the finance ranks. Andersen marks the third CFO to work with Gorin since her CEO appointment less than two years back, Skift noted.
Expedia is fighting to hold onto growth as Booking.com, Airbnb, and a wave of AI-powered upstarts all chase the same travelers. In its annual filing, Expedia flagged generative and agentic AI—think digital assistants that help you search, plan, or even book trips—as a potential threat. The company warned these technologies could ramp up competition, siphon off direct bookings, and drive up marketing costs if travelers start drifting to other platforms.
Expedia kicked off the year on solid footing. Fourth-quarter gross bookings and revenue each climbed 11%, while booked room nights advanced 9%. Over in the business-to-business segment, gross bookings jumped 24%—an area investors have been eyeing for signs that partner demand might offset any turbulence in consumer travel.
There’s a risk here: the CFO transition could pull focus ahead of May’s results, or investors might see it as a red flag—despite Expedia’s insistence there’s no argument over accounting or policy. For Andersen, the assignment is straightforward. He’ll need to prove travel demand, margins, and Expedia’s AI plan can all stay solid, together.
