TripActions has tapped Daniel Finkel as VP of booking experience and supplier strategy. While the former Expedia and Egencia exec will aim to scale up shopping capabilities on the platform and expand its content offerings, according to a press statement, he also will lead the startup travel management company's supplier relations team. Twenty-one-year industry veteran Bob Brindley, whom TripActions hired away from BCD Travel to serve as VP of supplier relations just over a year ago, now reports to Finkel.
That's a change in the wake of TripActions' dust up with Delta Air Lines, which pulled content off the platform this month for reasons neither of the companies has clarified fully, though Delta has cited issues with TripActions displays. Speaking about a different matter to The Company Dime, TripActionsCEO Ariel Cohen cited immaturity in TripActions' supplier relations strategies, despite Brindley's deep experience, and indicated a need to build more booking volume to successfully engage with the largest suppliers. In the meantime, Cohen said in a press statement that TripActions is "committed to working closely with our suppliers, from the airlines to the hotels." Finkel's LinkedIn profile lists several roles focused specifically on agency airline strategy.