Two of Expedia Group’s top engineering leaders have abruptly exited the company due to what the online travel giant called a “violation of company policy.”
The Seattle-based company did not provide further details about the departures of CTO Rathi Murthy and Sreenivas Rachamadugu, senior vice president, core services product and engineering.
Murthy and Rachamadugu “are no longer employed at Expedia Group,” a spokesperson confirmed in a statement emailed to GeekWire. “This decision is the result of a violation of company policy. We’re actively searching to fill these roles and remain confident in our technology, strategy, and employees. Due to confidentiality, we will not be making any further comments on the matter.”
Update, May 18: Murthy, through a spokesperson, sent a statement to GeekWire. “Throughout my career, I’ve conducted myself with a commitment to the highest level of integrity,” she said. “I am proud of my work at Expedia and have endeavored at all times to serve the best interests of the company. I look forward to sharing my story at the appropriate time and setting the record straight.”
The surprise exits come a few days after Expedia hosted its annual partner conference in Las Vegas, where it announced several new tech-related initiatives, including a new AI assistant.
Murthy spoke at the conference this week and posted on LinkedIn about the new announcements.
Murthy joined the company in 2021. She was previously a CTO at Verizon Media, and held executive roles at Gap, American Express, eBay, and Yahoo.
Rachamadugu also joined Expedia Group in 2021 from Verizon Media. He spent more than 15 years working for Verizon entities in various engineering roles.
GeekWire has sent messages to both executives seeking comment.
Expedia Group’s new CEO, Ariane Gorin, started in the role on Monday. Gorin, a longtime Expedia leader, replaced former CEO Peter Kern as part of a move announced in February.
Expedia Group includes brands such as vrbo, Orbitz, Hotwire, Trivago, and Hotels.com in addition to the flagship Expedia.com. The company has combined the tech platform beneath its different brands in recent years, and launched a unified travel loyalty program called One Key for Expedia, Hotels.com and vrbo.
The company reported $2.9 billion in revenue for its first quarter, up 8% year-over-year, but shares fell after the earnings release this month after the company said a tech migration was going slower than expected.
Expedia Group laid off tech workers in September, the latest in a series of moves by the company to overhaul its workforce. The company suffered an outage earlier this month.
