OpenTable Reorganizes Its Marketing, Product and People Teams
Skift Take
If OpenTable's corporate leadership wants to position it as a force in the restaurant world, dropping key marketing, product, and communications executives is a step in the wrong direction.
OpenTable and Kayak will integrate their teams functionally, according to an internal memo sent by Kayak CEO Steve Hafner to OpenTable employees, Skift Table has learned. Both Kayak and OpenTable are units of Booking Holdings.
The move is designed to cope with some of OpenTable's shortcomings, including its pace of growth, especially when it comes to international expansion beyond the United States.
OpenTable CEO Christa Quarles will maintain her role, but will report to Kayak co-founder and CEO Steve Hafner. There are no changes to the OpenTable or Kayak brands.
Other key members of OpenTable's leadership teams will transition out of their roles beginning later this month. Joseph Essas will remain OpenTable chief technology officer, assuming full responsibility for the OpenTable technology, product, and design teams, reporting to Kayak's CTO, Giorgos Zacharia. OpenTable's current head of product, Prasad Gune, will leave the company as of June 15, according to the memo.
Marketing and communications teams will be streamlined under Kayak's direct
