Good morning. Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz has witnessed the company evolve from a disruptive startup to a global travel platform since she joined in 2013. Now, she’s helping lead its next transformation—infusing AI into both operations and corporate decision-making.
Speaking with Fortune’s leadership editor Ruth Umoh on the Next to Lead vodcast, Mertz said Airbnb’s most tangible efficiency gains have come from AI-powered customer service. Last year, the company rolled out an automated agent that assists guests and hosts with support inquiries. The tool has reduced the number of contacts that require a human agent while improving satisfaction scores. “It gets guests and hosts what they need very quickly,” Mertz said, adding that Airbnb plans to keep investing in the technology.
