Airbnb: Top UK and Northern European boss checks out
Airbnb’s top boss in the UK and Northern Europe is to step down after four years in the role.
Amanda Cupples was appointed general manager for the region in March 2021 and was responsible for UK, Ireland, Netherlands and the Nordics.
Australian Cupples joined Airbnb from digital health company Babylon Health where she was first chief commercial officer and then chief operating office vice president of business performance.
Prior to Babylon, she served as president, international at Deluxe Entertainment Services, as well as holding numerous senior leadership roles at EMI Music.
Cupples, who started her career at Slaughter and May, is currently an investor and strategic advisor in online publishing platform, The Pigeonhole.
An Airbnb spokesperson said: “Amanda Cupples, general manager of Northern Europe, is leaving Airbnb to pursue new opportunities, effective from next week.
“We are grateful for her significant contributions to our company over the past four years and wish her the best in future endeavours.”
A successor to Cupples in the role is to be made in the coming months. In the meantime, Emmanuel Marill, director of Airbnb EMEA, will lead the region in the interim.
In her first year in the job, Airbnb UK Limited posted a turnover of £93.9m and a pre-tax profit of £51.5m after being boosted b a post-lockdown boom in bookings.
In its most recent set of accounts, Airbnb UK’s turnover totalled £77.7m and its pre-tax profit stood at £10.3m.
In February last year, Airbnb welcomed a move by the previous Conservative government to introduce registration and planning rules for short term lets in England.
At the time, the company said it recognised “there are historic housing challenges facing some communities in the UK” but added that “while short-term lets are not the root cause of housing challenges, we want to be a responsible partner and help make communities stronger and work hand in hand to address the challenges they face”.
Speaking at the time, Cupples said: “The introduction of a short term lets register is good news for everyone.
“Families who host on Airbnb will benefit from clear rules that support their activity, and local authorities will get access to the information they need to assess and manage housing impacts and keep communities healthy, where necessary.
“We have long led calls for the introduction of a host register and we look forward to working together to make it a success.”