Hopper Co-Founder and B2B Boss Dakota Smith Departs
Dakota Smith, co-founder and head of Hopper Technology Solutions, has left the Montreal-based travel firm after three years leading its primary revenue engine.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Dakota Smith, Hopper co-founder and head of Hopper Technology Solutions, has departed.
- The B2B unit, HTS, generated 90% of Hopper's total revenue as of 2025.
- The exit follows Capital One's April 2026 acquisition of tech and roughly 150 staff.
The travel technology landscape has experienced a notable leadership shakeup as Dakota Smith, co-founder and chief executive of Hopper's business-to-business division, announced on LinkedIn that he is leaving the Montreal-headquartered company after spending three years running its most critical business unit.
The division, known as Hopper Technology Solutions or HTS, acts as the invisible engine powering travel booking and loyalty rewards for a robust roster of enterprise partners. These include ride-hailing giant Uber, online travel agency Expedia, financial institution RBC, and newly announced partner Aven Hospitality. Smith previously disclosed in 2025 that this specific B2B arm single-handedly generated 90 percent of Hopper's overall revenue.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
While Smith did not provide a specific reason for his resignation, and Hopper declined to comment on media inquiries, sources close to the situation told Skift that the company's dual-CEO structure had become increasingly challenging to navigate. An investor noted that CEO Fred Lalonde taking a more hands-on approach within HTS created a dynamic of "too many cooks in the kitchen," while a top executive at a competing B2B firm described the departure as a major setback for a division that relies heavily on personal trust and institutional relationships.
"Lalonde's deeper involvement in HTS created too many cooks in the kitchen."
Travel Technology Investor
The high-profile exit arrives on the heels of a turbulent period for Hopper's B2B partnership ecosystem. In April 2026, Capital One acquired the underlying technology powering Capital One Travel, absorbed essential supplier relationships, and brought roughly 150 former Hopper employees in-house. This transaction occurred just weeks after Hopper successfully secured the RBC travel and rewards portal contract away from Expedia. Compounding the internal shifts, at least three additional Hopper employees shared on LinkedIn this week that they have also exited the organization.
This departure underscores the structural pressures facing white-label travel technology providers as major corporate clients increasingly demand in-house capabilities. When financial giants internalize travel portals, firms heavily reliant on B2B partnerships like Hopper must navigate delicate executive balances while defending their core revenue streams against shifting industry economics.
Source: Skift
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