Perhaps no travel company has its eye on Amazon as much as Airbnb, which has poached not one but two of the e-commerce giant’s executives this year and seems intent on learning from its Amazon Prime strategy.
Earlier this week, filling a position that's been vacant since February, Airbnb named Dave Stephenson as its new chief financial officer.
Stephenson was vice president and CFO of Amazon's Worldwide Consumer Organization, which is in part responsible for Amazon Prime sales.
And in March, Airbnb brought onboard Greg Greeley as president of its Homes business unit. Greeley was previously vice president of Amazon Prime and has been credited with helping create the membership program.
Airbnb is looking to Greeley’s experience with scaling Prime’s membership in particular to help grow its Superhost and Superguest program.
The “secret sauce” of Amazon Prime, Greeley explained at The Phocuswright Conference, has to do with driving repeat customers, and he plans to grow Airbnb’s host and guest community by building on the foundation of “great product.”
The community drives all of Airbnb’s innovations, Greeley said, be they around loyalty, hotels or experiences. What the competition - namely Expedia and Booking.com - is doing is of less concern, as the “industry is so large there will be lots of winners.”
During the Center Stage chat, Greeley also outlined Airbnb’s plans in the multifamily space (an area in which others are making moves), how it’s dealing with regulatory concerns and, of course, where the company is at in its trajectory toward an IPO.
Greeley also caught up with us in the PhocusWire Studio to discuss Airbnb’s flight ambitions and more.
Watch both interviews below.
Executive Interview: Airbnb
PhocusWire @ Phocuswright 2018 - Airbnb on a big year to date