Big Interview: Exclusive sit down with Oojo's new CEO

Global OTA Oojo has appointed former-Trip.com senior product and marketing director as its new head of the company. Gulce Karsli-Rozenveld speaks exclusively to Travolution about the move

Q: Congratulations on the new role. What spoke to you the most about this new position?

A: The online travel sector, and particularly – the flight aspect of it - has always been my true passion. I find the online flight booking space very intriguing since it's probably the closest thing to the stock exchange. Why? Because in the online flight sector, just like in the stock market, pricing is happening in real-time. You purchase in real-time; you sell in real-time, and the competition is very heavy. And since we are operating in an online area, the customers are always benchmarking. So, literally, within a matter of seconds, you, as a seller, need to find information about the price of the flight, go through your own algorithms and logic of your business model, and then bid on it, trying to win customers. It is a very exciting, adrenaline-heavy business model and I really like it because to be able to win big, you need to be on top of the game. You need to be the very best. 

So, in that sense, everyone must be on top of their game, you cannot slack, and there is so much excitement in outsmarting the competition. This dynamic of the industry is something I really enjoy; it keeps me going and keeps me engaged. And Oojo, for me, is a great place to pursue this passion, and there is also room for me to bring in my online knowledge and take the brand to the next level. It’s still young and not bogged down with all the different operations yet and I'm eager to make the most of this opportunity.  

Q: What are your plans for expansion?

A: We currently offer our online travel booking services to customers across the US, Canada, and the UK and are planning to launch in Germany by the end of this month. We want to take over the world with our Oojo bees! We will continue a rapid expansion for the next 2-3 years and then aim for a deeper penetration into specific markets.

I believe our current approach resembles a T-model, allowing for quick expansion but resulting in a surface-level engagement with the market. While this operational model enables swift growth, it does not facilitate deep and permanent integration into the market itself. After a while obviously, such a model runs its course and becomes less effective. Thus, it is crucial for us to focus on establishing a strong product-market fit and identifying opportunities for deeper integration.

Q: Would you be willing to share any growth goals/success metrics you hope to achieve by a certain date/time?

A: We want to enhance our online presence significantly and keep growing every year; we are looking at a year-over-year growth of at least 30% in terms of the number of sales. Equally important is our focus on maintaining a Net Promoter Score (NPS) above 60 - we believe customer loyalty is essential to the brand's long-term success. Additionally, we have set a bold target of being present in over 10 countries by the end of 2026. 

At the same time, it is so important to keep focus so that as we grow, our cost base per sale gets lower. We aim to experience growth, but not in terms of operations. We are not looking to employ more than 10% of the headcount at any given year, since talking about this metric does not seem very wise to me; you need to stay “sober” and efficient instead. The bigger the business gets, the more effective its operations have to be. We should be leveraging technology, particularly with everything speeding up. Simply put, if your value grows by 30% and your headcount increases at a similar pace, you are doing a bad job, as it should be significantly lower than your sales growth. 

Q: Are there any challenges you'd like to overcome or areas of work you'd particularly like to focus on for improvement?

A: There are two: one of my primary focus areas involves actively exploring new markets for further expansion, and the other is technological advancements.

Rapid market expansion across the globe requires very scalable systems in all areas because every country has its intricacies, and our processes and operations should be able to accommodate that. Even when we are confident in the scalability of our systems, we often discover limitations that require us to enhance and improve our capabilities. Our current priority is to identify strategies that enable us to be nimble while developing the most scalable systems that will allow us to expand as fast as we want.

Secondly, technology requirements are increasing daily. There are more searches coming that want the results faster, and more data needs to be processed. We’re witnessing this trend not just year over year but month over month. So, keeping up with technological advancements at this speed is a very real challenge.

Q: You have an impressive background - what do you think you're bringing forward from your other roles?

First, it's my deep-rooted passion for travel and the dynamics of this ever-changing industry. Before taking on my new role at Oojo, I held key positions at several different travel companies, such as Trip.com, where I led a team as a Senior Product and Marketing Director and Regional Director for Europe. It was now time for me to leverage my extensive industry background to further develop the dynamic online travel platform Oojo and continue its mission of delivering enhanced travel experiences.

Over the years, I've learned the importance of agility—the necessity and ability to pivot quickly in a fast-paced environment, such as travel. This understanding has become vital in navigating the complexities of today's travel, where market trends can shift overnight. I also bring a deep understanding of how data and technology can not only elevate but also transform traditional travel services into more efficient and personalised solutions. 

Analysing our customer behaviour and preferences allows us to tailor our services in ways that resonate with our modern-day travellers, and I have rich experience in blending innovation with customer-centric service, which is at the core of what we do here at Oojo. I strive to ensure that every touchpoint across a customer's journey is not only seamless and enjoyable but also powered by cutting-edge technology. 

Q: Will Oojo operate any differently as part of the Dynino Group now that you've taken over leadership?

A: We will keep everything that makes Oojo unique, carefully preserving the beneficial inheritance from our group culture and resources that have shaped our identity over the years. This culture, driven by innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence, has been crucial in building Oojo's success and differentiating us in the competitive travel landscape. At the same time, we recognise the importance of evolving, and our aim is to establish a more clearly defined organizational structure in combination with strengthening our strategic framework to achieve a higher rate of digitalization and automation. 

What I and the whole team are bringing to the table is a different experience in different aspects of the online travel space. In the rapidly changing field of e-commerce, it can be challenging to fully grasp the dynamics of the call-to-book sector. However, when we get together and collaborate, we uncover new synergies and insights that we were previously unaware of while operating in an online environment. Therefore, my vision is to not only sustain Oojo’s excellent reputation but also to unlock new possibilities in terms of smart and synergetic business operations.

Q: What can we expect from Oojo in the future? Any new exciting announcements?

A: Apart from driving global expansion, increasing market share and boosting our NPS, my main ambition is to efficiently leverage tech innovations to ultimately provide our customers with even more convenient travel booking options. We also strive to foster a culture of responsiveness and adaptability within our team, ensuring that we are always one step ahead in delivering exceptional service that exceeds our customers’ expectations regardless of the innovations behind it. 

We are now also eyeing the Middle East—it is a very interesting market since it’s seeing high growth and popularity. We believe the market's competitiveness is not mature yet; it still has a lot of space and potential for new players to enter. It’s currently being dominated by a handful of companies; however, the local ones are expensive, and the global ones are not localised yet. We want to leverage this market potential.

So, stay tuned for what's to come next for Oojo!