Julia Elliott knows what it takes to build something from zero. After starting in technology consulting, she helped early-stage startups grow, joined Kaggle, and then led strategy and operations at Google, always working where business needs meet technical solutions. Now VP of Technology and Chief of Staff in the CTO Office at Expedia Group, she brings that builder’s mindset to her role as executive sponsor of this year’s global Hackathon. It’s a fitting match: the Hackathon is where ideas come to life, and Julia shares what the role involves and why the event matters.
How do you describe your role at Expedia Group?
I always like to talk about my job as two jobs in one. The first is being Chief of Staff for Ramana, which really means being his right hand and his second brain. That covers how his staff runs, how we develop his team and our leadership, and how we operate as an organization. What’s our vision for the year? How does it turn into a tech strategy, and how does that connect to the broader EG strategy? Then, how do we execute it really well?
The second job is leading the CTO Office, which has three pillars. One is AI enablement, our enterprise-wide push to drive the usage, depth, and maturity of AI at EG. Another is business operations, the rhythms and resource management that keep the technology organization humming. The last is technical program management and planning, which is how we plan each year and deliver on what we set out to do.
You are the executive sponsor of this year’s global Hackathon. What does this actually involve, both behind the scenes and during the event?
Let me start with a huge shout-out to my team behind the scenes, including our hackathon program lead, who keeps everything on track, and the comms working group. I’m only successful as a sponsor because they’re successful in execution.
My own role is mostly guidance, along with communications up and down the organization. Having joined EG in January, I began by asking a lot of questions. What outcomes has the hackathon produced? Who participates? What does success look like? The answers helped me think about the role the hackathon plays for EG as a whole, and how I could leave my mark on this year’s event.
That mark starts with the moment we’re in. AI is changing how people work, not just in engineering but across every discipline, and even how we interact with one another. I wanted the hackathon to embrace that, giving people space to upskill in AI and the chance to apply it to real EG projects and opportunities.
I also wanted to carry forward the spirit of innovation that makes this event so special: the freedom to think disruptively about what EG could be, and the products we can build to serve the traveler. That bold mission comes through in everything the hackathon does.
How does the Hackathon help Expedians grow their skills, build their networks, and develop their careers?
The hackathon lets you set aside your day job and bring more of yourself to the table, from the skills you use every day to your personal passions.
It’s also a powerful way to build your network. Teams bring together different perspectives and skill sets, so you end up working with people you might never meet in your day-to-day.
And it’s a chance to grow. Most of us are shaped by the team we sit in. Here, you can think more expansively and flex a skill you don’t normally use. With AI reshaping how we all work, that kind of exploration matters more than ever.
What’s one thing you want every Expedian to take away from this year’s Hackathon?
If there’s one thing I hope people take away, it’s to adopt a more open, builder’s mindset.
I love how many people build long careers here. We have deep institutional knowledge and a great culture because of them. But when you’ve been somewhere a long time, it’s hard to picture what it could become, and “it’s not broken” can quietly win out.
Seeing what teams built in such a short window has been inspiring. Some of it could make it into our product and in front of travelers. I hope that gives everyone the courage to challenge the status quo and think big, every day.
What advice would you give to prospective candidates considering a career at EG, and what does the Hackathon say about our culture?
When people ask why I chose Expedia Group, I always say the same thing: we sit on top of an incredible amount of complexity. We serve two kinds of customers, travelers and suppliers. We have many different domains across the journey, and all of our brands. You can be daunted by that, or you can embrace it as an exciting challenge. My advice to anyone considering a career at EG is to be the second kind of person.
The Hackathon is a great reflection of that. The variety of what people create shows the range of opportunity we have to make an impact and live up to our mission. And the fact that we make space for a hackathon at all says something about our culture.
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