The seasoned financial executive brings strong track record of strategic guidance as Navan looks to its next phase of growth
PALO ALTO, CA, November 19, 2024 — Navan, the leading global travel and expense management solution on a mission to make every trip easy, today announced the appointment of Mike Kourey to the company’s board of directors as Audit Committee Chair, effective immediately. A seasoned financial executive, Kourey joins the Navan Board with a track record of strategic leadership and board experience across the public and private technology sectors.
“I’ve been a customer of Navan for years and have always admired the company and its brand,” says Kourey. “I tend only to work with founder-led companies and the chemistry with Ariel is undeniable — as is the alignment with the rest of the Board. Navan is truly a disruptive, generational company and I’m excited about the value I can bring to this innovative team as it continues to revolutionize travel and expense management.”
Kourey brings extensive experience guiding companies through transformational growth, having served in leadership roles at several major technology firms and spearheading five IPOs. He currently serves as CFO of Dialpad, an AI-driven communications intelligence company, where he’s been instrumental in driving its significant growth since 2021. He previously held multiple executive roles, including CFO of Okta, Vlocity (acquired by Salesforce), and Medallia, as well as a partner at Khosla Ventures and, previously, as CFO of Polycom.
Kourey’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Navan, as more companies continue to adopt Navan’s travel and expense management solution. It’s evident that the outdated process of calling a travel agent or using cumbersome software to book or modify trips, along with the time-consuming task of submitting expense reports, no longer aligns with the needs of today’s workforce. Companies still relying on these old travel and expense management systems are losing both time and money.
“I'm thrilled to welcome Mike to the Navan Board," says Ariel Cohen, Navan co-founder and CEO. "His demonstrated financial expertise, strategic vision, and extensive experience in the tech industry will further support Navan's mission to become the go-to solution for travel and expense management. Modern companies no longer want their employees wasting hours on booking or modifying business trips, nor on submitting expense reports. They are moving away from outdated travel and expense management programs, and Mike's insights will be invaluable as we continue to lead this transformation.”
Kourey joins an esteemed Board that includes Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz, Oren Zeev of Zeev Ventures, Arif Janmohammed of Lightspeed Ventures, Clara Liang, Sandesh Patnam, and Navan’s co-founders Ariel Cohen and Ilan Twig. Observers include Adam Bain of 01Advisors.
About Navan
Navan is the all-in-one solution that makes travel and expense easy so you can focus on being there, not getting there. Say goodbye to spending hours on the phone trying to change your flight or saving stacks of receipts to manually input expenses. From EAs and finance teams to travel managers and employees, Navan empowers people to concentrate on the things that matter most to them — all while providing companies with real-time visibility, savings, and control. Learn more at navan.com