Expedia Group Names Derek Andersen as New Chief Financial Officer

Expedia Group is bringing in a new finance chief. Derek Andersen has been appointed CFO, effective May 11, 2026, replacing Scott Schenkel, who is stepping down after 16 months in the role.

Andersen comes from Snap Inc., where he served as CFO from May 2019 through April 2026. Before Snap, he spent seven years at Amazon in finance leadership roles, including as Vice President of Finance for Amazon's digital video business. He holds an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and is a CFA charterholder.

CEO Ariane Gorin said Andersen's background in technology-driven consumer businesses made him "the right financial executive to step into this role as we continue to advance our strategy as a global travel marketplace." Schenkel will remain through Expedia Group's Q1 2026 earnings call on May 7 before departing on May 16.

The context

The change comes at a pivotal moment for Expedia Group. The company has spent the past two years pushing margin expansion and rebuilding competitive momentum against Booking Holdings, which has consistently outgrown Expedia on room nights and gross bookings. Schenkel, who joined in early 2025, was credited with tightening financial discipline during that stretch — a period in which Expedia returned to operating leverage after years of elevated investment.

Andersen's background is different from the typical travel-industry finance profile. His experience spans social media (Snap), streaming and e-commerce (Amazon) — high-growth consumer tech businesses where unit economics and platform efficiency are central concerns. Whether that perspective accelerates Expedia's B2B travel platform — which powers a large number of third-party booking sites globally — or focuses attention on consumer brand margins will be one of the things investors and partners watch closely.

What to watch

Expedia Group's Q1 2026 results are due May 7, Schenkel's last public appearance in the CFO seat. That call will set the baseline Andersen inherits. Key questions include how Hotels.com and Vrbo are performing following their consolidation under the unified Expedia Group technology stack, and whether the company's B2B distribution business is gaining or losing share against competitors.

For hotel partners working with Expedia brands directly, the near-term impact of a CFO change is minimal — commercial terms and partner programs are not set at the CFO level. The longer-term question is how the new finance leadership prioritises distribution investment across Expedia's brand portfolio.