In our latest edition of our Expedia Group Arrivals, we want to extend a warm welcome to Jonathan Finch, Vice President, InsurTech. His team is responsible for providing travel insurance and fintech products for Expedia Group travelers. These products deliver a ‘Peace of Mind’ for travelers so they can enjoy their vacations without worry. His team delivers a portfolio of insurance products for airfare, hotels, rental cars, and vacation rentals across all EG brands and global markets. FinTech products feature ‘price drop protection’ for EG One Key members and US customers who can book travel worry free of overpaying.  

Welcome to Expedia Group, Jonathan – we are so excited to have you on board! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career journey?

I would say my career has largely been focused on Finance, FinTech, Risk, and Insurance with a heavy emphasis on technology companies. I started in Financial Services 25 years ago at J.P. Morgan Chase where I spent seven years managing the bank’s technology infrastructure through its M&A activities. After earning my MBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!), I transitioned into management consulting where I led multiple practices for PwC. My focus was tech sector clients such as Microsoft and Amazon. In consulting, I was exposed to different disciplines, but I always enjoyed product management and wanted to focus here. I was fortunate to receive an offer to lead product strategy for Amazon’s FinTech team. Most recently at Amazon, I was Chief Product and Technology Officer for the company’s Treasury and Global Insurance divisions. Stepping into this new role at Expedia Group, I’m excited to bring product management expertise with my knowledge of FinTech & Insurtech to improve the traveler experience!  

On a personal note, I live in Fall City, Washington, and my life is enriched by my family — I’m a lucky husband to an amazing wife and dad to four wonderful kids (all under the age of 14 – insert grey hair here).  

What excites you about EG, and what led you to joining the company? 

There are three key factors that excite me about being a part of Expedia Group: 

1. Mission Alignment: As a passionate traveler, the opportunity to empower global travel through my work deeply excites me. Combining my love for travel with my expertise in product management and insurance feels like a perfect fit, allowing me to contribute to a cause I genuinely believe in. 

2. Transformation Journey: Joining Expedia Group at this pivotal moment of transformation is very exciting. Being a part of the journey of shifting from a brand-centric model to a unified platform and the evolution from a travel company to a tech company is something I wanted to be a part of. 

3. Collaborative Culture: The people I met during the interview process made a lasting impression. I was drawn to the culture that fosters innovation, disruption, and collaboration, while simultaneously prioritizing fun and enjoyment. This dynamic environment is exactly where I thrive and contribute my best. 

As you’re wrapping up your first quarter with us, what are your top priorities and goals for the InsurTech team?

My top priorities are to protect our core business by improving data, reporting, and accountability across our products, traveler segments and business units. We need to drive growth by leveraging ML to improve product recommendations, optimizing our shopping experience across all points of sale, and by expanding internationally to improve our performance outside the US. We’ll become more relevant in non-US markets, offer a wider range of products and different prices, and explore new products such as an ‘annual travel insurance plan’ to unlock new customer segments and maximize our potential.

How will your past experiences shape what you want to accomplish here at EG?

I’ve worked in many different corporate cultures throughout my career and that experience has provided me with a strong perspective on the type of culture that I want to build at EG. I’ve seen firsthand what makes a company successful and impactful (not to mention which cultures result in high attrition and poor morale). I’ve told my team here that “culture is everything” and I believe that. I want the team to be invested and I want them to clearly see how their efforts support a broader strategy. Our culture promotes ownership, collaboration, learning, speed and fun within my team of about 200 Expedians. I believe this balance is key to a thriving work environment where individuals feel valued and empowered, leading to increased productivity and achieving goals. I’m excited to lead an environment where everyone feels a sense of purpose, ownership, and joy in their work, ultimately contributing to the success of EG. 

How would you describe your leadership style? 

I would describe my leadership style as centered around empathy, ownership, accountability and authenticity. Two key aspects define my approach: fostering a culture of continuous learning and building a legacy. I believe in empowering people to enhance their skills and knowledge, providing them with opportunities for growth and development. Learning, to me, is fundamental – it should be the reason why we work, otherwise a job is just a job. I encourage those within the team to look at every change event, every transformation, every new product launch as a learning opportunity. On the other hand, the concept of legacy holds great significance. I challenge my teams to envision what they want to build and how they aspire to leave a positive mark on our shared professional space. The ultimate success metric, in my opinion, is the imparting of a legacy on the people and company you’ve left behind. More specifically, the legacy of what you’ve built, the lives you’ve impacted for the better, the people whom you invested in and watched them develop and grow, the growth of the business you built. There’s a legacy that this team will build at EG and I can’t wait to get started.  

Jonathan, we are so glad you took the time to tell us about yourself! One last question: we have heard you love to travel, so where is your next trip going to be? 

Yes, my family and I love to travel! We try to do one international trip a year and one beach vacation per year, so I’m planning on putting my EG travel benefits to good use with taking our next trip to Kauai, Hawaii in February and I can’t wait. It’s the perfect getaway to escape the chilly winter weather in Washington.  

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