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Expedia Strengthens European Management Team to Deepen Relationships with Consumers, Suppliers and Employees
Four Senior Executives Will Build On Company's Global Leadership
BELLEVUE, Wash., April 19, 2006 -- Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), the world's leading online travel company, today announced a four-part realignment of its senior management team in Europe that will bolster its powerful leadership position in the region.
Simon Breakwell, president of Expedia's EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, will resign his position and will be nominated to join the board of Expedia, Inc. If approved, Breakwell would become the first European member of the company's board.
Dermot Halpin, currently COO for Expedia's EMEA region, will assume Breakwell's position as president of EMEA. All of Expedia's European managing directors outside its Partner Services Group (PSG) will report to Halpin, who began his career with Expedia in 2001 as director of operations for Expedia UK. Less than a year later, he became managing director of Expedia UK. Expedia is now the leading online travel business in the UK.
"Simon has done an exceptional job building our European organization," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Expedia, Inc. "Dermot is an exceptional leader and brilliant strategist who will continue our strong performance in Europe. We are currently the leading online travel agency in Europe, so there is an excellent foundation upon which to build."
Extending the Global Reach of Expedia's Partner Services Group
In conjunction with these two executive shifts, Expedia's PSG - led by Paul Brown - announced two additional management changes in Europe, designed to enhance and enrich the company's global relationships. PSG is responsible for establishing and managing strategic relationships for all Expedia, Inc. points of sale with supply partners worldwide, offering them choice, seamless coordination and access to our vast traveler base.
Henrik Kjellberg, who joined Expedia in 2001 and is currently head of the company's Car, Hotel and Destination Services Supply Group for Europe and Asia, will become Senior Vice President of International Lodging and Destination Services.
And Matthew Crummack has joined Expedia in the newly created position of Vice President of European Airline and Tour Operator Partner Services, responsible for all of the company's relationships with airlines and tour operators in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. A team of 30 - working across EMEA with operations on the ground in Paris, Munich, London and Milan - will report to him. Creating added value in the relationships between Expedia and its airline partners is a core strategy for the company's European operation.
Most recently, Crummack was Global Business Development Director for the Tesco unit of Nestlé UK; he has also held a variety of high-profile sales and marketing roles with Procter & Gamble in Geneva and the UK.
Kjellberg and Crummack will both report to Brown, and each will serve on Expedia's PSG Leadership and European Leadership teams.
"Expedia has a truly global supply network, with 350 managers in 28 markets from Beijing to Barcelona," said Brown, "and we are very fortunate to have experienced leaders like Henrik and Matthew developing, expanding and managing these valuable partnerships for the company."
About Expedia, Inc. Expedia, Inc. is the world's leading online travel company, empowering business and leisure travelers with the tools and information they need to easily research, plan, book, and experience travel. Expedia, Inc. also provides wholesale travel to offline retail travel agents. Expedia, Inc.'s portfolio of brands include: Expedia.com®, hotels.com®, Hotwire®, Expedia® Corporate Travel, TripAdvisor™ and Classic Vacations®. Expedia, Inc.'s companies also operate internationally with sites in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, and China, through its investment in eLong™. For more information, visit http://www.expediainc.com/. (NASDAQ: EXPE).
Expedia, Expedia.com, Enjoy Your Trip and the Airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
For more information:
Press:
United States:
David Dennis
Expedia, Inc.
425-679-7430
press@expedia.com
Europe:
Alison Couper
Expedia, Inc.
07789 853 948
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