Airbnb Names Gus Fuldner Head of Operations, Prepares for AI-Led Growth

Airbnb revealed that Gus Fuldner, a former Uber executive, will become its new Global Head of Operations, starting March 16, 2026.

CEO Brian Chesky announced the move in a message to employees, describing Fuldner as the leader who will help Airbnb handle some of its most important operational challenges.

Airbnb is putting more focus on the systems behind its platform. That includes customer support, trust, fraud prevention, safety, and payments. The company also wants to use AI more deeply in these areas, which makes operations a bigger part of its long-term strategy.

The change comes after Airbnb rebuilt operations during the pandemic era

Fuldner is taking over from Tara Bunch, who joined Airbnb in 2020, when global travel demand had collapsed. Chesky said Airbnb had lost 80 percent of its business at that time, and the company needed to stabilize quickly.

In his note, Chesky credited Bunch with helping rebuild Airbnb’s operations during that difficult period. He said the company made major progress in customer satisfaction, fraud prevention, and AirCover, Airbnb’s protection program for hosts and guests.

Why Airbnb picked an Uber executive

Before joining Airbnb, Fuldner held senior roles at Uber, where he worked on safety, customer support, payments, insurance, and identity systems that helped the company scale globally, giving him deep experience in managing complex operations at a large consumer platform.

The appointment also fits a wider leadership shift at Airbnb as the company deepens its AI focus. In January 2026, Airbnb hired Ahmad Al-Dahle, a former Meta AI executive and Apple engineer, as its new chief technology officer, signaling that the company is strengthening both its technical and operational leadership as it builds a more AI-driven travel platform.

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