Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is facing an unprecedented threat from the coronavirus. Here are the veteran execs on Airbnb's board of directors who will be critical to his success or failure.
Airbnb is facing a big challenge thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a deep decline in the travel industry.
Among the company's directors are Kenneth Chenault, who led American Express through the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the Great Recession, and Angela Ahrendts, who helped turnaround Burberry and guide it through that latter downturn also.There are probably few startup founders who are in as much need for guidance and direction from experienced leaders right now as Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.
Until a couple of months ago, this board of directors would likely have been laser-focused on a planned IPO that was expected to value the company at $40 billion or more. Now, the directors must apply their business experience to navigating a crisis instead of a Wall Street debut.he told the Wall Street Journal.
According to some media reports there has been flashes of tension between Chesky and certain directors as the company grapples with the crisis, though Airbnb spokesperson Nick Papas has denied the tensions.What's clear is that the board's ability to collaborate and to leverage its collective wisdom will be put to the test by the pandemic.
Several Airbnb directors have gone through experiences similar to what he's facing. Chenault, for example, took over American Express right before the dot-com bust hit in 2001. He then led the financial giant through the Great Recession. Ahrendts was in charge at Burberry during that downturn. Jordan was heading OpenTable and guided it through a successful initial public offering at a time when few companies were going IPO.
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