BizTrip.AI head of product strategy Valerie Layman
AI travel platform BizTrip.AI has hired former Yapta executive Valerie Layman to lead its product strategy, the company announced.
As head of product strategy, Layman will be in charge of BizTrip.AI's product vision and strategy in what the company says is a "time of rapid growth" for the platform. BizTrip.AI, which acts as a "personal concierge" in helping travelers find the best booking options in a conversational style, launched last year and since has become part of Sabre Corp.'s investments.
Layman previously was chief product officer at price assurance technology Yapta, which was co-founded by BizTrip.AI co-founder and CEO Tom Romary. Yapta was acquired by Coupa, which used the technology as part of the launch its own travel booking and expense system. Layman served as VP of product management at Coupa, making BTN's 25 Most Influential list in 2022. Coupa later decided to phase out its travel platform.
"Valerie's experience speaks for itself; she’s been at the forefront of innovation in both corporate travel and enterprise software," Romary said in a statement. "As we continue to scale, her leadership across product and go-to-market will be critical in bringing our vision to life for customers around the world."
More recently, Layman had been working outside of the corporate travel sphere, serving as chief product officer for hospitality procure-to-pay platform BirchStreet Systems. In a statement, she said she was "thrilled to be returning to my corporate travel roots at such a pivotal moment for the industry. "
BizTrip.AI also announced it has hired Katherine Tomera as director of product management. Tomera most recently was product manager for residential solar financing company EverBright.