HouseTrip appoints former Skype chief as chairman

Former Skype CEO and eBay head of Europe Michael van Swaaij has been named as chairman of European holiday rental site HouseTrip.com.

Former Skype chief executive and eBay head of Europe Michael van Swaaij has been named as chairman of European holiday rental site HouseTrip.com.

Additionally, ex-Yahoo! executive George Hadjigeorgiou becomes chief operating officer, moving up from the role of chief business officer.

Van Swaaij joins the company at what is described by the company as a “pivotal point” in its growth trajectory.

He said: “HouseTrip’s story began with its founders trying to find a unique place to stay at a reasonable price.

“Today, HouseTrip is Europe’s leading marketplace for finding affordable, authentic accommodation and is changing the way people think about going on holiday. The company not only solves a real problem, it also gives people more choice and value for money.”

Launched in January 2010 with just 200 properties, HouseTrip now lists 220,000 with four million nights booked.

Founder and chief executive Arnaud Bertrand said: “We continue to focus on building a world-class leadership team in order to take HouseTrip to the next level.

“Michael’s vast experience will add tremendous value to the company by providing strategic steer and industry knowledge.

“George has been a continuous force in growing and making HouseTrip better every single day and I look forward to working with both of them for many years to come.”