Booking.com Extends Chairwoman Gillian Tans’ Contract to 2021 in Surprise Move
Photo Credit: A Booking.com exhibit at Web Summit 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal November 5, 2019. Flickr.com / Web Summit
Skift Take
Kayak, OpenTable, and Agoda have laid off employees. The flagship brand, Booking.com, initially took Dutch government relief money that forestalled downsizing, but has opted not to extend it. Amid other restructuring moves under way, that means layoffs are likely on the agenda as Chairwoman Gillian Tans re-ups.
In a surprise move, Booking.com chairwoman Gillian Tans has extended her employment contract to 2021, a year longer than expected, Skift has learned.
The move comes as Amsterdam-based Booking.com declined to apply for an extension of Dutch government relief, a move that likely means layoffs are coming.
“Our decision not to apply for an extension of the Dutch government support is rooted in the fact that as we continue to look at what we need to do to get through this crisis, short-term adjustments alone will likely not be enough to ensure our business is sized and structured for the new reality of substantially reduced travel demand," said Booking Holdings spokeswoman Leslie Cafferty.
Booking.com is by far the largest brand in the Booking Holdings portfolio. Sister companies Kayak and OpenTable executed furloughs and layoffs in April impacting around 400 employees, and Asia-based Agoda laid off about 1,500 staff in May.
