Chief Product Officer Shilpa Ranganathan champions intuitive, empathetic design to turn complex journeys into seamless experiences
Jul 2, 2025
At Phocuswright Europe, Shilpa Ranganathan, Chief Product Officer at Expedia Group, delivered a compelling vision for the future of travel: one where technology serves people — not dazzles them. Drawing on her experience at Microsoft, she emphasized trust, simplicity, and putting the human experience first. Her product philosophy isn’t about chasing the latest tech trend, but using AI meaningfully to remove friction and make travel feel seamless. Under her leadership, Expedia is blending generative and agentic AI, social commerce, and deep ecosystem partnerships to reimagine the traveler journey.
Key takeaways
- Human-centered product vision: Ranganathan prioritizes trust, simplicity, and empathy. “Tech must feel intuitive and serve a purpose,” she says, warning against using technology just because it’s new.
- AI with impact, not hype: Expedia’s AI strategy has two tracks:
- Generative AI for inspiration (e.g. natural language search)
- Agentic AI for real-time problem-solving (e.g. Romie 2.0 on Hotels.com)
- AI that acts on your behalf: Expedia is shifting from reactive search to proactive agents that understand user intent and can execute complex travel tasks – like rebooking flights or adjusting itineraries – inside a single interface.
- The power of social commerce: With tools like Trip Matching and Travel Shops, Expedia is turning passive social media moments into bookable trips, empowering influencers to curate and sell travel experiences.
- A multi-channel distribution strategy: Expedia’s reach now includes:
- Core sites (Expedia, Hotels.com)
- AI interfaces
- Social platforms (TikTok, Instagram)
- Connected TV ads (e.g. Amazon Prime)
- B2B APIs (banking, loyalty programs)
- Still missing: The perfect travel companion: Future priorities include:
- AI agents that plan full trips with one click
- Intelligent systems that update all travel providers during disruptions
- Seamless communication between different agents in the travel ecosystem
- The road ahead: Expedia’s strategy hinges on partnerships with OpenAI, Microsoft, and others — not building alone, but creating an AI-powered travel ecosystem that’s helpful, human, and everywhere the traveler needs it.
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