Skift Take
No pain, no gain, right? Expedia's Vrbo unit, which is almost an afterthought when it comes to discussions about Airbnb, Booking.com, and Google, has been undergoing a difficult transition. In itself, changing the leadership isn't the answer, but along with other changes, perhaps it won't hurt.
John Kim, who took over the reins of Expedia Group's now-struggling vacation rental unit Vrbo in 2016, has been replaced in that leadership role by Jeff Hurst.
In another move in Expedia Group's ongoing reorganization, which has been under way for months, Cyril Ranque, previously president of Lodging Partner Services, became president of the company's Travel Partners Group.
Expedia hasn't formally announced these changes but updated its leadership pages online to reflect them. An announcement is likely forthcoming.
Kim's transition might be positioned as a lateral move as he becomes president of an important unit, Platform & Marketplaces. He will lead efforts in artificial intelligence, user experience, and marketplaces, but Vrbo, acquired from HomeAway in 2015, has encountered competitive headwinds under his
