3355: How TravelPerk Is Balancing AI and Empathy in Business Travel

Jul 22, 2025

Robin Smith, Chief Technology Officer at TravelPerk, discusses the intersection of AI and empathy in business travel. He highlights how TravelPerk’s approach combines automation with human connection, especially when travel disruptions occur. Robin delves into the challenges large enterprises face in tech adoption and how nimble teams are redefining innovation. He also emphasizes the complexities of global travel management, invoking a reminder that while AI is on the rise, the human touch remains essential.

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INSIGHT

Long Tenure Enables Deeper Insight

Staying long-term in one company offers deep perspective on continuous technological changes.
It encourages curiosity and adaptation rather than assuming past success guarantees future relevance.

ADVICE

Select Acquisitions Wisely

Choose acquisitions that align philosophically and technologically with your company.
This alignment reduces integration challenges and preserves speed and culture.

INSIGHT

Mid-Markets Demand Hybrid Travel Tech

Mid-market companies seek consumer-grade travel experiences combined with enterprise compliance.
Large enterprises often lag in tech adoption compared to nimble mid-market firms.

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In this episode, I sit down with Robin Smith, Chief Technology Officer at TravelPerk, to hear how one of Europe’s fastest-growing travel platforms is blending automation with empathy in a sector built on unpredictability.

Robin shares how that continuity has shaped his view of disruption, from the rise of web and mobile booking to the rapid acceleration of cloud platforms and now AI. He explains why staying rooted in a single mission has helped him stay curious and open to change in a way frequent job hopping never could.

We explore how TravelPerk is positioning itself as a consumer-grade experience built with business-grade rigour, serving mid-market companies that want seamless travel and expense tools without compromising on policies, duty of care, or integrations. Robin unpacks why large enterprises often lag in tech adoption and how nimble, decentralised teams are setting a new benchmark for innovation in corporate travel.

The conversation dives into AI’s growing role in travel, from Yokoy’s AI driven expense automation to the company’s internal enablement strategy powered by its partnership with 9x. But Robin also reminds us of something easy to forget amid all the hype: 31 percent of travelers still pick up the phone when disruption hits. The appetite for AI is growing, but human connection isn’t going away.

We also look at the invisible complexity behind making global travel feel simple, from airline add ons and multi country compliance to supporting collaborative group travel in a post pandemic world. Robin shares why the real challenge isn’t building software, it’s hiding the machinery behind a product that “just works.”

As we round off the conversation, Robin offers advice to engineers and product leaders hoping to follow a similar path. His takeaway is refreshingly honest: ignore most advice, and fall in love with the problem. It’s not about replicating someone else's journey. It’s about staying curious and building your own.

So, will AI ever fully automate travel bookings or is the human touch still too valuable to leave behind? And what does building resilience look like when the rules of travel keep changing? Tune in and let me know what you think.