Why I’m Thrilled to Be Navan’s New CFO

Today, we announced that I will be shifting roles at Navan from Board Member to Chief Financial Officer. I am thrilled to once again move into an operator role; however, I can also appreciate that some people might be asking, “Why now?” and more importantly, “Why Navan?”

I’ll tell you why.

Throughout my career — regardless of role — I have been an advocate for forward-thinking, innovation, and the public markets.

That’s exactly what drew me to Navan. My new colleagues, the people who give this company its spark, are smart and passionate and want to lead the charge in transforming the T&E industry. They believe in the market opportunity (the global business travel industry is expected to reach $1.8 Trillion by 2027, according to GBTA), and the product itself. As CEO, Ariel Cohen leads by example and encourages innovation and disruption. Smart features such as Navan Connect and Ava make the travel experience more efficient and sophisticated.

When I posted the news about joining the Board in April, I was blown away by the messages and commentary I received. Clients love the product. Just a few of the messages I received: “My Company uses Navan with great results,” “Navan makes my business travel easy,” and “We just switched to Navan at work and it’s GREAT!”

I want to take the combination of industry growth, product fit, and the promise of efficiency to be a CFO that helps other CFOs. Not often can a finance team introduce a product to its organization that increases efficiency and makes it easier to do business — which of course results in happier people. This is not your typical financial system integration.

Is Navan a candidate for the public markets? To my mind, becoming a public company means setting the bar higher and increasing focus. It means access to capital to invest in new avenues for growth. For me, it means the opportunity to return to a role that I loved — and the unique opportunity to tell more people about the singular product and people of Navan.