What Tripadvisor's New CEO Needs to Do First

And just like that, the search for Tripadvisor’s new boss is over. Co-founder Steve Kaufer will pass on the CEO title to Matt Goldberg. Though he starts the role on July 1, this will be no summer vacation. Goldberg inherits one of the toughest jobs in travel. 

Let’s cut to the chase. Tripadvisor’s core metasearch business is floundering and it is experiencing one of the slowest recoveries in travel. These challenges are not new and have been mounting ever since Google threw its hat into the travel ring. But outside of praying for regulatory intervention, let’s focus on what is within Goldberg’s control. 

As CEO, Goldberg needs to bring focus to Tripadvisor’s business strategy. Tripadvisor’s scattershot response to a changing metasearch marketplace has been ineffective. In our view, the company has launched too many products with too little follow-through. We believe that Goldberg needs to put forth a singular view of what he believes Tripadvisor can be and then commit to executing against that vision. 

Consider even a simple question: Who is Tripadviso