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Expedia Group restructured its marketing organisation to adapt to artificial intelligence, and its chief marketing officer, Jochen Koedijk, framed the change as primarily organisational rather than technological. As first reported by Ad Age, E.J. Schultz published this coverage on September 28, 2026. The coverage highlights six moves Expedia made to align people, processes and measurement with AI-enabled tools. The central lesson Koedijk and the reporting emphasise is that tools matter only after workflows, roles and governance are set — a shift from buying tech to redesigning how teams work together and how results are measured.
Key takeaways
- Who led the shift: Jochen Koedijk, Expedia Group chief marketing officer, led the restructuring discussed in the coverage.
- Where it was reported: E.J. Schultz reported the changes for Ad Age on September 28, 2026.
- Core lesson: The reporting says the biggest barrier to AI in marketing was organisational change, not the technology itself.
- Actionable framing: The piece frames six specific moves Expedia used to ready marketing for AI.
Table of contents
Why Expedia treated structure before tools
Expedia’s shift prioritised roles, workflows and governance over tool selection. The reporting conveys that leaders at Expedia saw AI adoption as an operational design problem: without clear decision rights, measures and handoffs, AI outputs cannot be turned into consistent outcomes. Jochen Koedijk presented this perspective in the context of the 2026 Ad Age Business of Brands conference, where the company’s approach was placed alongside the broader push by marketers to adopt AI.
That framing flips a common vendor-driven script. Rather than testing point solutions first, Expedia mapped where AI would change a process, assigned owners for model outputs and set measurement expectations before rolling tools into production. The emphasis is on redesigning human and team processes so AI augments repeatable decisions instead of creating ad hoc workarounds.
How Expedia packaged its six moves
The coverage summarises six moves Expedia used to operationalise AI for marketing; the number six frames the practical checklist the company shared. Those moves, as presented, cluster around four themes: clarifying ownership of AI outputs, updating measurement systems, retraining teams for new workflows and establishing governance for ethical and quality checks. The reporting presents the six moves as transferable practices other marketers can adapt.
Presenting a compact set of steps helped Expedia convert strategic intent into day-to-day practice. The six-move structure is useful because it converts abstract promises about AI into repeatable operational changes that line managers can budget and schedule into existing roadmaps.
Where this approach matters for marketers
The main practical implication is managerial: adopting AI without reorganising teams risks inconsistent use and poor measurement. The reporting by E.J. Schultz and the examples given in the conference context suggest that companies should first map decision processes and KPIs, then identify where AI can insert reliable inputs. Expedia used that sequence to avoid tool-driven fragmentation.
For marketing leaders, the takeaway is procedural: set clear owners for AI-driven decisions, adapt measurement frameworks to include model performance, and embed governance checks before scaling. That approach makes the technology operational rather than ornamental.
| Item | Who/Place | Mentioned detail |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Ad Age | By E.J. Schultz; published September 28, 2026 |
| Executive | Jochen Koedijk | Expedia Group chief marketing officer; spoke at 2026 Ad Age Business of Brands conference |
| Framework | Expedia | Six moves to restructure marketing for AI |
What could make this approach succeed or stall
The case for
- Organisational clarity lets AI outputs be actioned consistently, increasing the chance that pilots scale into repeatable programs.
- Treating measurement and governance up front reduces the risk of poor-quality model outputs being adopted as business as usual.
The case against
- If leaders delay tool deployment after redesign, business teams may lose momentum and seek ad hoc solutions outside central governance.
- Without ongoing investment in skills and change management, initial reorganisation can revert and AI adoption will remain uneven.
What to be careful about
- Adoption stalls if tool deployment lags behind process redesign and business teams create workarounds.
- Governance gaps could allow low-quality model outputs to influence decisions before measurement systems are updated.
The bottom line
Expedia’s story, as reported on September 28, 2026, reframes AI adoption in marketing as an organisational design challenge first and a technology selection problem second. The coverage compresses that work into six moves intended to clarify owners, update measurement and set governance so AI outputs become usable at scale. Marketing leaders can adapt the idea: treat AI rollouts as process change programs, assign clear decision rights and measure both model and business performance before scaling tools.
What to watch
- Watch for Expedia Group communications on its AI roadmap; no date has been set.
- Watch for further public presentations by Jochen Koedijk that elaborate on the six moves; no date has been set.
Frequently asked questions
Who described Expedia’s restructuring for AI?
E.J. Schultz reported the restructuring for Ad Age on September 28, 2026, and the public-facing executive tied to the changes is Jochen Koedijk, Expedia Group chief marketing officer.
How many moves did Expedia present as part of its approach?
The coverage frames the effort as six moves that translate strategy into operational steps for marketing teams.
Where did Expedia present this thinking publicly?
Jochen Koedijk appeared in the context of the 2026 Ad Age Business of Brands conference, where the company’s approach was discussed.
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