Airbnb Names Pepijn Rijvers Chief Business Officer as Dave Stephenson Prepares to Depart

Airbnb has appointed Pepijn Rijvers as its new Chief Business Officer (CBO), giving him responsibility for Homes, Hotels, Enterprise Operations and Global Markets as the company prepares for its next phase of growth.

Airbnb co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky announced Rijvers’ appointment in a company-wide email, placing the veteran executive in charge of several of the platform’s most important commercial and international areas.

The change comes as Airbnb continues to broaden its business beyond its traditional home-sharing roots. The company has expanded into hotels, services and experiences while continuing to develop its global accommodation marketplace.

Rijvers succeeds Dave Stephenson, who will leave Airbnb at the end of 2026 after eight years with the company.

Stephenson will remain involved until the end of the year to support the leadership transition.

The appointment therefore represents both a change in senior management and an important moment for Airbnb as it attempts to balance its established homes business with newer growth areas.

Rijvers takes responsibility for four major business areas

As Chief Business Officer, Rijvers will oversee four significant areas of Airbnb’s operation: Homes, Hotels, Enterprise Operations and Global Markets.

The scope of the position demonstrates the importance Airbnb places on integrating its core accommodation marketplace with newer commercial opportunities.

Homes remains central to the Airbnb platform, connecting travellers with hosts offering properties in destinations around the world.

Hotels represent a further expansion of Airbnb’s accommodation proposition, bringing more traditional hospitality inventory onto the platform.

Enterprise Operations and Global Markets broaden the remit further, covering the operational and international dimensions required to manage a global travel marketplace.

Rijvers will therefore be responsible for areas that directly influence how Airbnb attracts customers, supports supply, expands internationally and develops its accommodation business.

A significant transition after eight years

Stephenson’s departure marks the end of a substantial period of leadership at Airbnb.

He joined the company as Chief Financial Officer, where he built its Finance organisation and helped guide the business through one of the most disruptive periods in modern travel: the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also played a role in Airbnb’s public-market journey, helping steer the company through its initial public offering.

The IPO became one of the most closely watched listings in the travel industry and helped establish Airbnb as a major publicly traded technology company.

Stephenson subsequently became Airbnb’s first Chief Business Officer.

In that position, he built and led the Business organisation, strengthened the company’s core business and helped develop several new areas.

His tenure included the introduction of Hotels, as well as the launch of Services and Experiences.

These developments have contributed to Airbnb’s broader strategy of becoming more than a platform primarily associated with holiday homes and short-term accommodation.

Airbnb’s business is becoming broader

The leadership transition comes against the backdrop of a major evolution in Airbnb’s business model.

The company was founded in 2007, when two hosts welcomed three guests into their San Francisco home.

Since then, the platform has expanded into a global marketplace with more than 5 million hosts and more than 2 billion guest arrivals, according to the company.

Airbnb now operates across almost every country around the world and has become one of the most recognisable brands in global travel.

Its original proposition was relatively straightforward: allow individuals to offer accommodation and enable travellers to book stays in homes and other distinctive properties.

The platform has since expanded its ambition.

Hotels, experiences and services have introduced new categories and created additional ways for travellers to interact with Airbnb.

Rijvers will now inherit responsibility for a business that is considerably broader and more complex than the company Stephenson joined eight years ago.

Hotels become an important part of the next chapter

The inclusion of Hotels within Rijvers’ CBO responsibilities is particularly significant for the wider hospitality industry.

Airbnb historically differentiated itself from traditional hotel companies through its focus on homes and local accommodation. Its growing interest in hotel inventory represents a shift towards a more comprehensive accommodation marketplace.

For travellers, the development could mean greater choice within a single platform.

For hotel operators, Airbnb’s expansion into hotels creates both an additional distribution opportunity and another channel through which they can reach international customers.

The implications will depend heavily on how Airbnb positions hotel inventory alongside its existing homes offering.

Traditional hotels have different operational structures, service expectations and commercial models from individual hosts. Integrating those categories effectively requires careful management of customer expectations and supply relationships.

Rijvers will have a central role in that process.

Global Markets will be another critical focus

Airbnb’s international reach makes Global Markets an equally important component of Rijvers’ new role.

Travel demand differs substantially between regions, with variations in consumer behaviour, regulation, accommodation supply, payment systems and tourism patterns.

A global platform must therefore adapt its commercial strategy to individual markets while maintaining a consistent brand experience.

Airbnb has already established a significant international footprint, but continued growth requires the company to understand where demand is developing and where regulatory or competitive conditions may create challenges.

Rijvers’ responsibility for Global Markets places international expansion directly within his CBO portfolio.

That could become increasingly important as the global travel market continues to recover and evolve following years of disruption caused by the pandemic.

Enterprise Operations expands the leadership remit

Rijvers will also oversee Enterprise Operations, adding an operational dimension to his commercial responsibilities.

For a global travel platform, enterprise-level operations can involve managing complex processes across multiple markets and business functions.

The importance of operational execution has increased as Airbnb’s business has expanded.

The company now serves millions of hosts and travellers while managing multiple categories of accommodation and travel-related services.

As the platform grows, maintaining reliability, efficiency and a consistent customer experience becomes increasingly important.

The CBO role will therefore extend beyond business development and market expansion.

It will also involve ensuring that Airbnb’s various commercial activities function effectively at global scale.

Services and Experiences changed the scope of Airbnb

Stephenson’s tenure also included the launch of Services and Experiences, further expanding Airbnb’s relationship with travellers.

The move reflected a broader industry trend in which travel companies attempt to participate in more parts of the customer journey.

Accommodation remains the foundation of the Airbnb marketplace, but travellers increasingly seek activities, food, wellness, entertainment and other experiences alongside their stays.

By adding these categories, Airbnb has sought to position itself more broadly within the travel ecosystem.

Stephenson’s role in establishing these businesses means that Rijvers takes over a commercial organisation with a significantly expanded mandate.

The challenge now is to develop these businesses while maintaining the strength and scale of the core accommodation marketplace.

Leadership change comes at an important time for travel

The timing of the appointment is notable because the travel industry continues to experience structural changes.

Travellers are increasingly comfortable booking accommodation digitally, while the distinction between hotels, vacation rentals and other forms of lodging has become less rigid.

At the same time, travel platforms are competing to capture a larger share of the customer journey.

Airbnb’s development of hotels, services and experiences fits into this broader competitive landscape.

Rijvers’ appointment suggests that Airbnb is placing substantial emphasis on commercial integration as it enters its next phase.

His responsibility across homes, hotels, enterprise operations and international markets creates a single leadership remit spanning several of the company’s principal growth engines.