Gareth Williams, Skyscanner’s co-founder and chief executive officer, is to take up a new role as chair of the travel search engine. He will be replaced as chief executive by current chief technology officer Bryan Dove.
“I’m very excited to take on the role of chairperson, where more of my focus will be on Skyscanner’s long-term vision,” said Williams.
“Former CTO Bryan Dove is a natural fit as my successor, having been pivotal in shaping our current strategy and structure. He has a wealth of experience and is additionally supported by a brilliant senior leadership team.”
Dove commented “Gareth is a tremendous leader and I’m delighted to continue working with him in his role as Chairperson. I’ve never been more excited or optimistic about Skyscanner’s future and our ability to make a positive impact on travellers and partners around the world.”
Skyscanner was launched in 2003 and has since moved from flight comparison to include hotels and car hire. It is available in more than 30 languages and in markets across the world.
The company received investment from Sequoia Capital before being acquired in 2016 by Chinese travel site Ctrip, in a deal valued at more than £1.4bn.
It remains operationally independent and acquired London-based user-generated content business Twizoo in November last year.
In a video, Williams said: “We started on the premise that we need to make travel simpler, and that problem isn’t yet solved. I still believe that Skyscanner is the company that does it.”