Expedia Group has appointed Xavier Amatriain as its first chief artificial intelligence and data officer as the company accelerates its investment in AI-driven travel technology.

Amatriain, formerly vice president of AI and compute enablement at Google, will lead Expedia Group’s long-term strategy across artificial intelligence, machine learning and data infrastructure. He will also work across the company’s strategic partnerships, B2B division, product, marketing and finance teams.

Amatriain said the sector is entering a new phase of AI adoption driven by generative and agentic technologies.

“AI is entering a new era — one powered by generative, agentic and truly adaptive technologies that will fundamentally reshape how we explore the world,” he said. “No company is better positioned than Expedia Group to lead this next wave.”

The appointment comes as more travel companies formalise senior AI roles. In September, Skyscanner named chief product officer Piero Sierra as its chief AI officer, a position focused on making the platform’s tools more personal and intuitive.

SiteMinder has also strengthened its AI oversight, appointing Samantha Lawson as an independent non-executive director, citing her experience in emerging technologies.

Expedia Group said the new role forms part of its broader plan to build more seamless end-to-end travel experiences powered by AI-enhanced search, recommendations and customer support.

Highlights:

• Expedia Group names Xavier Amatriain as its first chief AI and data officer
• Former Google AI leader will oversee long-term AI and machine-learning strategy
• Appointment reflects wider industry shift as travel companies formalise senior AI leadership roles
• Skyscanner and SiteMinder have recently strengthened their AI leadership teams

STRZ

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