Many companieshave navigated recent economic and geopolitical uncertainties — but the CEO of travel conglomerate Booking Holdings has faced a steady stream of crises over the last two decades.
To name a few: the dot-com bubble, 9/11, the 2008 market crash, SARS-1, volcanoes, tsunamis, the pandemic, tariffs, and various wars. CEO Glenn Fogel told Business Insider there’s something happening in the world every day.
“Every day something’s coming down the pipe,” Fogel said.
Part of dealing with a crisis involves planning in advance whenever possible. For example, Fogel explained that when tensions started to heat up between Russia and Ukraine, a region where the company operates, they began to prepare contingency plans “just in case.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine became public just hours after the company’s earnings call in February 2022.As the situation developed, Booking Holdings supported employees abroad and navigated expected sanctions. That led to the company’s decision to suspendtravel services in Russia and Belarus in March 2022, the company said.
Fogel, who’s been with the company for over 25 years, isn’t a stranger to navigating complicated situations. He outlined his crisis response approach, starting with the people he keeps on speed dial to how he manages stress.
