Your Place is Wonderful

The Priceline Group has promoted Darren Huston, 47, to president and CEO, succeeding Jeffery Boyd, who will remain as chairman after serving 14 years in the CEO role. Boyd is credited with turning Priceline around during his tenure and boosting the company’s stock price to new highs. Huston’s promotion and his appointment to Priceline’s board of directors will become effective on Jan. 1, 2014.  will also join Priceline’s board of directors.

Huston has been serving as CEO of Booking.com B.V. (Netherlands), a wholly owned subsidiary of Priceline, and will continue to hold that post.  Since January 2013, he also has also been responsible for overseeing certain parts of Priceline’s international business, including inter-brand relations, distribution and geographic expansion.

Huston has been a member of the company’s Group Management Board since joining in September 2011.  He came to Priceline from Microsoft Corporation, where he served as corporate vice president, consumer on online from 2008 and president and CEO of Microsoft Japan from 2005.  Prior to joining Microsoft in 2003, he was senior vice president at Starbucks Corporation responsible for acquisitions and new product development.

“Darren has done a great job leading Booking.com, the Group’s largest business, delivering impressive growth and share gains,” said Boyd. “Darren is the right choice to lead the group and I look forward to working with him closely as chairman of the board.”