Tony Donohoe, Expedia Inc.’s chief technology officer, is leaving the Bellevue, Wash.-based online travel giant after seven years as one of its key engineering leaders, according to an internal email obtained by GeekWire.
The message, sent to employees Friday by Aman Bhutani, president of Brand Expedia Group, says Donohoe is “embarking on a great adventure as the CTO of a company based in San Francisco.” Bhutani describes it as “a role deserving of a strong leader.”
That company isn’t identified in the email, and Donohoe’s destination doesn’t seem to be widely known inside Expedia, based on our inquiries.
In his own email to the Expedia leadership team, Donohoe said his new role will be at “a startup” in San Francisco. His last day at Expedia will be June 22. In an email to GeekWire, Donohoe said he wasn’t yet able to name the company because his role hasn’t yet been announced there internally.
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of San Francisco-based ride-hailing giant Uber, was previously CEO of Expedia. On a recent CNBC appearance, Khosrowshahi said filling out his management team is a top priority in advance of a possible IPO in 2019.
Update, 1:20 p.m.: Uber says Donohoe is not joining the company.
Earlier this week, Expedia confirmed that its longtime chief people officer, Nikki Krishnamurthy, will be leaving the company. It’s also unclear where Krishnamurthy will be working next. Longtime Expedia exec and former Orbitz CEO Barney Harford joined Uber in December as the company’s COO.
Donohoe writes in his farewell email, “This was a very difficult decision to arrive at. Expedia is an awesome company, and I have had the great privilege to work and learn from you all on a daily basis. Ultimately, I realized, throughout my life the best moments have come when embracing the growth mindset. This is the time to make another leap into the learning pool.”
Inside Expedia, Donohoe’s direct reports will report to Bhutani during an interim period, according to the Expedia president’s message.
