Trivago Chief Financial Officer Axel Hefer will replace co-founder and CEO Rolf Schrömgens at the end of the year, the company announced.

Hefer told Cheddar in an interview Tuesday the company had been working on a succession plan since he joined the company three years ago.

Schrömgens's co-founders Peter Vinnemeier and Stephan Stubner left the company in 2018. Hefer told Cheddar Schrömgens felt it was time for him "to move into a more passive role." Schrömgens will join the advisory board and give up his board of directors seat.

Trivago's stock was down about 19 percent after the surprising announcement, made along with the Q3 earnings report.

"Our third quarter overall came in softer than expected," he said. The company expects a smaller Q4 revenue than last year.

Hefer said the stock price reaction "is a combination of both filings and, obviously, very difficult to say which part of the drop is associated to the different news."

Hefer said the company has been focused on profitability after losing a "substantial sums of money" in the first half of 2018.

Share:
More In Business
Potential Strike by Las Vegas Workers
Thousands of hospitality workers across 18 casinos in Las Vegas have announced they are set to strike if a new contract agreement is not reached by Friday, November 10.
Apple Beats Expectations in Latest Quarter
Apple posted better-than-expected profit and revenue in the latest quarter but said sales dropped for the fourth straight quarter, including a drop in revenue for iPads and iMacs.
Load More