Entertainment industry veteran Ann Mather has joined Airbnbs board as its first female director.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky made good on a promise he made this spring at the Code Conference, when he pledged to appoint at least one woman to the board this year.
“In meeting Ann, I was immediately impressed by her deep financial technical expertise, her passion for innovation and her fierce commitment to fostering growth within creative cultures like the one we have at Airbnb,” Chesky said. “Ann values taking smart, ambitious long-term bets and has the vision to see how they can transform a company and its stakeholders.”
Mather served as chief financial officer of Pixar Animation Studios from 1999-2004, where she was responsible for finance, administration, business affairs, investor relations and human resources. She also held executive positions at Village Roadshow Pictures and the Walt Disney Company.
A native of Great Britain, Mather brings to Airbnbs board of directors deep experience in financial and risk oversight from her roles as Chair of the Audit Committees of both Alphabet and Netflix.
“Home sharing has been part of my life from an early age,” Mather said. “Growing up in England, my family always stayed in family cottages and B&Bs, and Ive continued that tradition with my own children when we travel. One of the most exciting aspects of Airbnb is how it is transforming from a home-sharing service to a true end-to-end travel platform, thoughtfully designed and rooted in a true community.”
Mather is the second independent board director to join Airbnbs board; the company tapped former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault in January.
Silicon Valley companies like Airbnb have been under pressure to diversify their boards. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with several tech companies in May to press for greater representation on their boards and on their payrolls.
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