Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), the world’s leading provider of online travel and related services, is the parent company of Booking.com. Gillian Tans served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Booking.com from April 2016 to June 2019. A Dutch businesswoman born in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, Tans joined Booking.com in 2002 when it was a small Amsterdam-based startup and rose through the ranks over 14 years to become its CEO. Under her leadership, Booking.com expanded from a European hotel booking site into a global travel platform operating in over 220 countries, with more than 28 million accommodation listings. In 2017, Fortune named Tans one of the Most Powerful Women in International Business. After stepping down as CEO, she served as Chairwoman of Booking.com until 2021, later becoming President of Dutch e-bike company VanMoof (2022–2023), and is currently active as an investor and advisor.

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Gillian Tans – Quick Facts

Booking.com Competitors

During Gillian Tans’ tenure as CEO, Booking.com competed in the highly competitive online travel agency (OTA) market. The key competitors of Booking.com include:

• Expedia Group (Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo) – largest U.S.-based online travel company
• Airbnb – leading alternative accommodation and experience marketplace
• Trip.com Group (Ctrip, Skyscanner) – dominant OTA in Asia-Pacific
• TripAdvisor – reviews and meta-search platform with booking capabilities
• Agoda – Booking Holdings sister brand focused on Asia
• Marriott International – world’s largest hotel chain with direct booking platform
• Hilton Worldwide – major hotel group with robust direct booking channel
• Google Travel – integrated hotel and flight search within Google ecosystem

Gillian Tans Net Worth 2026 – Booking.com CEO Salary

As of 2026, Gillian Tans’ net worth is estimated at approximately $45–55 million USD. This estimate is based on her substantial stock holdings in Booking Holdings (BKNG), which were valued at over $22 million at the time of her departure, combined with more than $14 million in exercised stock sales and her multi-year compensation totaling over $45 million during her CEO and COO tenure. Booking Holdings stock (BKNG) has appreciated significantly since her departure, trading near $4,077 per share in February 2026, which would have further increased the value of any retained shares.

Booking.com CEO Compensation History (Gillian Tans)

Booking Holdings Net Worth 2026 – Company Financials

Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), the parent company of Booking.com, is one of the most valuable travel companies in the world. Under current CEO Glenn Fogel, the company has achieved record financial performance.

Booking Holdings Financial Summary (FY2025)

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Gillian Tans Contact – Email Address | LinkedIn

Below are the known contact details and social media profiles for former Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans. Note that since leaving Booking.com, Tans is self-employed as an investor and advisor.

Booking.com Customer Care | Help & Support

For travel or accommodation booking inquiries, contact Booking.com customer support directly:

• Phone: +31 (0)20 712 5600 (international) or local numbers per country
• Email: [email protected]
• Online Help: booking.com/content/cs.html

Career & Education – Company, University, & College

Gillian Tans’ career spans over three decades in the hospitality and online travel industry. She began her career in the hotel sector before joining Booking.com at its earliest stage and rising through the ranks over 17 years.

Gillian Tans Career Timeline

Gillian Tans started her career at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts in the United States, where she worked for three years from 1993 to 1996. She then moved to Golden Tulip Hotels, Suites & Resorts, an international hotel group where she served as Product Manager, Marketing Manager, and eventually Director of Sales from 1998 to 2002.

In 2002, Tans joined Booking.com when the company was a small Amsterdam-based startup. She steadily rose through the ranks, taking on leadership of the company’s Global Sales, Operations, IT, Content, and Customer Care departments. In 2011, she was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer, and in April 2016, she was appointed CEO — becoming one of the most powerful women in the global travel industry.

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Under her leadership as CEO, Booking.com grew from a European hotel booking platform to a global travel marketplace with listings in over 220 countries and territories. In June 2019, she stepped down as CEO and was appointed Chairwoman of Booking.com, serving until 2021. In May 2022, she joined Dutch e-bike company VanMoof as President (she had been an early Series C investor), serving until May 2023. She is currently active as an independent investor and advisor.

Education

Gillian Tans Wiki – Age, Husband, Family, & More

Former Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans (age 55, born August 2, 1970) is a Dutch businesswoman from Apeldoorn, Netherlands. She lives with her husband and three children in Amsterdam. Her husband is from Hong Kong, and the family enjoys Cantonese home-cooked meals. Tans considers her parents as her primary role models — her father taught her the value of workplace ethics, while her mother instilled creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit.

An avid traveler and technology enthusiast, Tans has cited Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder) as an inspiration. She views failures as opportunities for growth and learning. When at home, she maintains a disciplined routine, waking at 6:15 AM to cook for her children. She typically takes a two-week vacation in summer, one week in winter, and a few days off in May.

Notable Achievements & Recognitions

• Fortune Most Powerful Women (International) – Named to Fortune’s list in 2017
• Highest-Paid OTA CEO (2016) – Earned $17.1 million, the highest among all online travel CEOs worldwide
• Booking.com Global Expansion – Led expansion from primarily European platform to 220+ countries
• World Economic Forum (WEF) – Agenda Contributor and panelist at Davos
• ACM Conference Keynote (2018) – Keynote speaker at the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets conference
• Phocuswright Europe Speaker (2026) – Featured speaker at the premier travel technology conference

Tans is known for championing women in technology and leadership. During her tenure at Booking.com, she launched initiatives to increase gender diversity in the company’s workforce and advocated publicly for more women in CEO and C-suite roles across the tech industry.

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About Booking.com & Booking Holdings

Booking.com is the flagship brand of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), the world’s leading provider of online travel and related services. Founded in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com has grown into the world’s largest online accommodation platform, offering over 28 million reported listings across homes, apartments, hotels, and other unique places to stay in more than 220 countries and territories.

Booking Holdings trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol BKNG. The company is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (USA), while Booking.com’s operational headquarters remain in Amsterdam. With approximately 24,300 employees worldwide and a market capitalization of roughly $127 billion (February 2026), Booking Holdings is one of the most valuable digital companies in the world. In February 2026, the company announced a 25-for-1 stock split.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is Gillian Tans?

Gillian Tans is a Dutch businesswoman who served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Booking.com from April 2016 to June 2019. She joined the company in 2002 and rose from operational roles to become one of the most powerful women in the global travel industry. She is currently active as an independent investor and advisor.

What is Gillian Tans’ net worth in 2026?

As of 2026, Gillian Tans’ net worth is estimated at $45–55 million USD, based on disclosed Booking Holdings stock holdings (over $22 million at departure), $14+ million in exercised stock sales, and multi-year compensation exceeding $45 million during her CEO and COO tenure.

What was Gillian Tans’ salary as Booking.com CEO?

Gillian Tans’ total compensation peaked at $17.1 million in 2016, making her the highest-paid online travel CEO that year. In 2017, she earned $13.65 million, and in 2018, her total compensation was $14.47 million. The majority of her pay consisted of stock awards and performance bonuses.

Why did Gillian Tans leave Booking.com?

In June 2019, Booking Holdings announced a management restructuring in which Glenn Fogel (CEO of the parent company) took on the additional role of CEO of Booking.com. Tans stepped down as CEO and was appointed to the newly created role of Chairwoman of Booking.com, serving until 2021.

Who is the current CEO of Booking.com?

The current CEO of Booking.com (and its parent company Booking Holdings) is Glenn Fogel, who has held the position since June 2019. Under his leadership, Booking Holdings has grown to nearly $27 billion in annual revenue with a market cap exceeding $127 billion. Read the full profile of Glenn Fogel here.

What is Gillian Tans doing now?

After leaving Booking.com in 2021, Tans served as President of Dutch e-bike company VanMoof from May 2022 to May 2023. She is currently self-employed as an investor and advisor, and continues to be active as a speaker at major industry events, including the upcoming Phocuswright Europe 2026 conference in Barcelona.

Article last updated:January 2026March 2, 2026