The Expedia CEO Transition: The Challenges Facing the New Boss

Expedia Group's Peter Kern is handing off the CEO title to Ariane Gorin on May 13 as the company's annual partner conference is about to kick off in Las Vegas.

But Kern is also handing off more challenges than he would have liked.

On May 2, the company lowered its outlook for gross booking value and profit margin expansion: Executives pointed to subpar performance at its vacation-rental brand Vrbo and the need to up international marketing investments.

At Hotels.com, the switch to the One Key loyalty program meant its customers weren't earning as much as when the brand had its own — some would say more attractive — loyalty plan.

Executives have touted a tech migration plan to bring many of its brands onto one platform for more than a year. It's now complete, but the benefits haven't arrived yet.

“While it’s going to take somewhat longer than we’d anticipated to see the benefits come through