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.
Cheddar News' Courtney Sturgeon reports live from the options trading floor to break down the busy earnings week ahead for big tech, and the launch of Cboe's 1-Day Volatility Index (VIX1D).
Haley Sacks, founder and CEO of Finance Is Cool, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on when hiring a financial planner is needed. "They will help you figure out exactly how to maximize your personal situation," she said. "They're going to think about your long-term plans, consider your goals and incorporate all of that into the structure that they create for you."
Scott Wren, senior global market strategist with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, joined Cheddar News to discuss Monday's market trading as earnings continue to trickle in and ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting next week.
