In this Fortt Knox Update, Jon Fortt speaks with Ariel Cohen about how Navan is using AI to fundamentally reshape business travel, especially when things go wrong. The conversation opens with a looming winter storm, a real-world stress test that highlights Navan’s core value proposition: proactive, automated support at scale. Cohen explains how Navan alerts travelers before disruptions hit, helps them rebook without fees, and deploys its AI assistant, Ava, to handle a majority of support interactions when human agents alone would be overwhelmed.
If you’d like to join me – and peers – for deeper conversations on innovation and leadership, get on this list for Fortt Knox Executive Communities, launching soon: mba.fortt.com.
This is an AI-assisted summary of my Fortt Knox Update with Navan CEO Ariel Cohen. View the full interview here:
Cohen describes Navan’s broader AI architecture, built on an internal platform called “event cognition,” which blends external large language models with Navan’s proprietary data and long-term memory of traveler preferences, company policies and loyalty programs. This foundation powers both Ava and Navan’s next major product, a more autonomous “virtual travel agent” designed to plan, book and adjust trips end-to-end based on an individual’s habits and priorities.
The discussion also touches on the resurgence of business travel. Cohen argues demand has surpassed pre-pandemic levels because in-person meetings remain essential for trust, dealmaking and leadership. He notes a shift toward higher-quality travel experiences rather than purely functional trips.
Finally, Cohen reflects on Navan’s life as a newly public company, emphasizing the need to balance regulatory discipline with long-term innovation, and shares how AI has improved his own effectiveness as a CEO, particularly in communication and strategic clarity.
“And the reason that I’m talking about Ava: There is no way to scale a support organization to the level of mess that we’re going to have on Sunday, overnight. … And therefore AI is super, super important. Ava knows how to support, we reported in Q3, 54% of the interactions with us. That means that especially in a day of a storm, she will be extremely, extremely valuable.”
Highlights
Navan uses AI to proactively manage large-scale travel disruptions like major storms.
Ava, Navan’s AI assistant, handles over half of customer interactions.
The company’s “event cognition” platform combines external LLMs with proprietary travel data.
A new virtual travel agent product aims to automate trip planning and changes end-to-end.
Business travel demand is now above pre-Covid levels, according to Navan data.
Travelers are prioritizing experience quality, not just loyalty programs.
Cohen argues AI compresses experience gaps, benefiting motivated entry-level workers.
Navan is bringing new talent into roles like travel agents by augmenting them with AI tools.
As a public company, Navan is committed to long-term innovation over short-term optics.
Cohen personally uses AI to improve clarity, alignment, and communication as CEO.
If you’d like to join me – and peers – for deeper conversations on innovation and leadership, get on this list for Fortt Knox Executive Communities, launching soon: mba.fortt.com.
It's interesting how you highlighted Navans 'event cognition' platform. I'm curious how it structurally integrates external large language models with their proprietary data and long-term memory. Maintaining consistency there must be a signifcant architectural challenge. Really insightful, Jon!