Skift Power Rankings: Jane Jie Sun

Power is not just about who holds the top job but who shapes the landscape, drives innovation, and sets the agenda for what comes next. With that in mind, we proudly present Skift’s Power Rankings — our list of the most powerful leaders in travel.

In China, gender equality remains elusive, with progress in women’s labor force participation advancing at a pace that makes a sloth look speedy. However, Jane Sun, the CEO of Trip.com Group, is shaking up the status quo.

Sun’s dedication to gender equality stems from personal experience. She recalls trips abroad, where as chief operating officer and later CEO, she was often asked where her husband was. “Even in Silicon Valley, people had a difficult time imagining a major internet company CEO could be female,” she said in an interview to Tatler Asia.

However, from Silicon Valley to Seoul, Sun has defied expectations. At Trip.com, over 50% of the employees are women, and middle management has 40% female representation.

Sun’s Trip.com offers perks from prenatal pick-ups to egg-freezing coverage. It’s not just about flights and hotels; it’s about landing a seat at the table for everyone — no matter their gender or parental status.

Starting as chief financial officer at Trip.com in 2005 (when it was still called Ctrip), Sun became CEO in 2016. She’s navigated Trip.com from a domestic hotel booking site to China’s leading online travel platform with a $33.3 billion market cap, an almost 20-fold jump.

Back in Ctrip’s early days, the company focused on domestic travel. But as Chinese wallets got thicker, so did their wanderlust. Soon, they were off to Korea, Japan, and then all over Southeast Asia. From there, it was the U.S., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

The company, including brands like Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar, now operates in 24 languages across 39 countries and supports 35 local currencies.