SEATTLE, April 23, 2026, 14:02 PDT
Expedia Group Inc. tapped Derek Andersen, the former finance chief at Snap Inc., to serve as its next chief financial officer, bringing a new face into the top finance seat just ahead of first-quarter earnings. Andersen steps in on May 11, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Ariane Gorin, according to the company. Shares of Expedia last traded down 5.4% at $250.37.
Timing’s key here. Scott Schenkel, who’s wrapping up his run as Expedia’s CFO, will stick around until the May 7 earnings call. He’s out on May 16—leaving just nine days for investors to see the finance transition play out in public, right from the seat that steers their view on costs, margins, and capital returns.
The timing comes as online travel companies are under scrutiny for how they use artificial intelligence—software capable of producing itineraries and search results based on user input. Reuters noted the CFO change followed ongoing worries that AI might upend the booking strategies at Expedia and rivals.
Gorin described Andersen as “the right financial executive,” pointing to his “deep understanding of technology-driven businesses.” For his part, Andersen said he’s “returning to Seattle” and aims to help push Expedia into its “next phase of performance and profitability.” SEC
Andersen, 48, spent nearly seven years as Snap’s CFO, holding the post from May 2019 to April 2026. He came onboard as vice president of finance back in 2018. Before Snap, Andersen worked on Amazon.com Inc.’s digital video business and earlier was with Fox Interactive Media, both in finance roles.
Earlier in the week, Snap shuffled its finance leadership, appointing Doug Hott as CFO on April 20 to take over from Andersen, according to Reuters.
According to Expedia’s filing, Schenkel and the company reached an agreement on April 17 for him to exit his CFO post effective May 11. Expedia said there was no rift over its operations, accounting, or any company policies driving his departure.
Andersen’s compensation breaks down to a $1 million base salary, plus a $2.5 million signing bonus in cash. Add to that restricted stock units—share awards vesting over time—valued at $17 million. He can also receive annual equity awards aimed at $10 million. The contract comes with relocation support if Andersen moves to Washington by July 2027.
Expedia’s shares lagged behind rivals. Booking Holdings lost 1.5% and Airbnb slid 1.6%, but investors cut Expedia’s price more steeply after the finance leadership update.
The day before, analyst views were less volatile. TD Cowen bumped its Expedia price target up to $285 from $260 but stuck with a Hold rating, MT Newswires reported.
Expedia’s portfolio includes Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. The company claims it operates the biggest business-to-business travel platform, targeting services at other companies instead of just end users. That setup gives Andersen oversight of finances for everything from consumer travel and partner supply to advertising and travel tech for corporate clients.
Still, there are risks in the transition. The overlap between leaders won’t last long, and Schenkel’s exit package is hefty. Investors are already uneasy about how AI might shake up the travel search business, threatening to drown out the company’s intended narrative before earnings. The filing tried to ease at least one worry, making it clear Schenkel isn’t leaving over a dispute. But Expedia flagged in its release that unpredictable factors could push actual results away from its outlook.
