Boomeranging Back: Why Experienced Talent Returns to Navan to Capture the Future

The path through a career is rarely straight, but for some of Navan’s most talented employees, it always leads back home. These individuals — our boomerang hires — chose to return after gaining outside experience, bringing back invaluable skills, new perspectives, and a renewed commitment to our mission.

A boomerang hire’s story is the ultimate proof of a company’s strong culture. It tells us that while opportunities elsewhere may be compelling, the sense of purpose, product-market fit, and connection found at Navan is truly unique. We sat down with five returning employees to understand their stories and what drew them back to Navan.

Jack Wilson, Manager of Commercial Account Management (London)

Jack’s history with Navan is a story of rapid internal mobility. Joining the company in 2019 as the third sales development representative (SDR) in Europe, he quickly progressed to senior SDR and senior account executive before ultimately being promoted to manager of commercial sales in the UK. After four years of rapid growth with the company, Jack departed in October 2023. His next chapter took him to India and provided him with invaluable experience leading business development for a startup. In this new role, he developed new skill sets and a unique perspective by managing teams with diverse cultures.

Jack maintained strong relationships with colleagues at Navan, and when the opportunity arose to return, the decision was simple. “The company was doing great, and a lot of the people that I enjoyed working with were still there,” he said. Jack returned in May 2025 to a new professional challenge as the manager of commercial account management, leading the post-sales account management team in Paris. Jack is excited to return to the company in a new role and in a new region, and he is eager to once again support the company’s mission. He sees Navan entering a new phase of market maturity — shifting from challenger to default solution in a huge, yet-to-be-fully-tackled market — a trajectory he is excited to help fulfill.

Daniella Schuh, Mid-Market Account Executive (Palo Alto)

Daniella had a strong career growth journey during her first stint at Navan, earning four promotions and rising from SDR to senior account executive between 2019 and 2022. In connection with a relocation to San Diego, she started working at a mental health company, which provided her with valuable skills in building deeper, more personal relationships with prospects and clients. She also learned the importance of work-life balance, effective time management, and stress management.

Although she acquired valuable new skills and diverse experiences, Daniella soon missed two key aspects of Navan: the people and the clear product ROI. “I definitely missed the people,” Daniella shared. “I also missed the quality of sales leadership and training. At Navan, I felt that I had the resources to continue becoming a stronger seller and truly valued the guidance from my leaders.”

The quality of the product was also a major factor. “Unfortunately, when I was selling mental health benefits, it became hard to justify ROI, whereas at Navan, there is a very clear ROI value driver,” she said. Daniella returned to the Navan sales team in June 2025 as a mid-market account executive, based out of the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, and the culture made her return feel like a true homecoming. She’s enthusiastic about the product’s progress and believes the greatest opportunity lies in capturing more of the expense and payments space as the company continues to dominate the T&E market.

Ozge Gundogdu, Executive Assistant (Palo Alto)

Ozge was a highly valued executive assistant who began by supporting Navan co-founder Ilan Twig and COO Ofer Ben-David. Her role later expanded to support other key executives. After some of the executives she supported relocated, Ozge concluded her original 3-year tenure in December 2024.

Her eight months away quickly clarified what she missed most about Navan: the bonds built on genuine care and trust. Ozge realized, “At Navan, I’ve always felt like part of a team, where my contributions truly made a difference and my voice was heard. I was seen. I was valued.” She missed working with her executives and the teams she had built strong relationships with. Returning in August 2025 as the executive assistant to support Ilan again, she concluded, “People are the reason I came back to Navan.” Her story is the ultimate testament to the strength of Navan’s community and the loyalty it fosters.

James Funge, Regional Director of Mid-Market, UK (London)

James was a pioneering hire, joining the company in its early days as the first enterprise account executive in EMEA, based out of London. Following his departure, he spent time deepening the sales enablement focus he learned at Navan by helping other sales reps succeed — a critical leadership skill he brought back when he rejoined the company as regional director in February 2025.

What drew him back was realizing the rarity of the Navan environment. “You very rarely, if not ever in your career, get the right company at the right time with the right competitive runway, product-market fit, and the right people,” he explained. He believes Navan is built to be a future-proof business. Furthermore, he noted, “The investment in Europe is as strong as it is in the United States, and that’s very rare for an American software company.”

Adarys Carrion, Business Travel Consultant II (Dallas)

Adarys initially joined Navan as a senior business travel consultant in 2020, putting her on the front lines as part of the team that forms the backbone of our customer support. When Adarys departed the company, she spent some time at Amex GBT, where she noticed the company culture lacked the “human part” that she’d known and appreciated at Navan.

The culture of inclusiveness was the single biggest driver for her return in October 2024 to the Global Operations and Support (GOS) team. “The culture was very inclusive, and everyone got along exceptionally well, making it a special team to be a part of,” Adarys recalled. She was so impressed by Navan’s culture that she referred a colleague to the company before she even rejoined. Now, she’s back supporting our travelers and ensuring a great experience while leveraging Navan’s continuous technological advancements. Her enthusiasm for the journey ahead is fueled by her professional growth and the company’s ongoing expansion.

The Future: Building Momentum Together

These five stories illustrate a single truth: among Navan’s greatest assets are its people and the environment that allows them to thrive. These employees each had unique reasons for leaving the company, but their motives for returning were universal–the unbeatable product-market fit, strong career trajectories, and a culture of trust and support. For those who may be considering their next move, our boomerang hires offer the powerful advice that Navan can provide endless opportunities to take on new responsibilities as part of a rapidly growing company transforming the T&E industry.

Ready to experience this incredible culture firsthand? Explore our current openings at navan.com/careers.