Tara Bunch

Tara Bunch is a technology executive with a career spanning more than four decades in global operations and customer experience. With extensive experience leading international teams in the consumer technology industry, Bunch has held senior leadership roles, including Vice President of AppleCare at Apple and Senior Vice President at Hewlett Packard, where she led Global Customer Service and Support Operations. Her educational background includes an MBA from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, providing a foundation for her operational approach and focus on customer-centric leadership.

Bunch joined Airbnb after her tenure at Apple, where she managed AppleCare, the company’s customer service and repair organization. She oversaw a global team responsible for service and repairs for Apple customers, including online and on-device support and a network of authorized service providers. At Airbnb, Bunch served as Global Head of Operations, overseeing Customer Service, Trust and Safety, and Payments teams. In this role, she managed global teams supporting hosts and guests in more than 220 countries and regions and payments in 63 currencies. Her responsibilities included strategy and execution across customer experience, trust, and supply growth, with a focus on optimizing host support, guest satisfaction, and platform reliability.

Bunch has been recognized within the hospitality and technology sectors for her leadership. She was named one of Reuters' Trailblazing Women in Customer Experience and ranked No. 2 on Fast Company's Queer 50 List for her work in travel and technology. Bunch has served as a director at Vanguard and has held board positions with Out & Equal, the University of California, Berkeley School of Engineering, and Santa Clara University's School of Business.

In addition to her operational roles, Bunch has advocated for diversity and inclusion in the technology industry. She served as executive sponsor of Pride at Apple and Hewlett Packard and as executive sponsor for AirPride and Trans@ at Airbnb. Bunch has spoken publicly about her experiences as an LGBTQ+ leader in technology, including challenges related to anti-discrimination laws. Her perspective on identity, leadership, and corporate culture has contributed to discussions on diversity in tech. After more than 40 years in the technology industry, Bunch retired, having influenced operational strategy and inclusive leadership at major technology brands.