Uber’s new mantra: ‘We do the right thing. Period.’
TRANSPORTATION
NEW YOR K • Dara Khosrowshahi has spent the past two months learning the ins and outs of Uber, the embattled ride-hailing company where he took over as chief executive in August. Now begins the hard work of repairing Uber’s image.
On Tuesday, Khosrowshahi i ntroduced a new set of values for the firm, replacing a list conceived by Travis Kalanick, the cofounder and former CEO.
Introduced to employees at an all- hands staff meeting in San Francisco, the list is meant to strike a softer tone for the company, which has long been seen as hardedged and combative. It includes goals like perseverance and celebrating differences. An entry reads: “We do the right thing. Period.”
The list represents something of a repudiation of the culture created under Kalanick. Uber has l ong held a reputation for a willingness to fight anyone and everyone, from competitors like Lyft to lawmakers seeking stronger oversigh. That aggressiveness led to difficulties in cities like London, where Khosrowshahi is scrambling to keep the service alive.
“It’s that forward-leaning, fearless approach that has underpinned much of Uber’s success and has attracted many employees, including me, to the company,” Khosrowshahi said in a post. “But it’s also clear that the culture and approach that got Uber where it is today is not what will get us to the next level.”
Uber’s baggage caught up to it this year after Susan Fowler, a former employee, penned a lengthy post detailing a history of sexual harassment by a superior and complaints to human resources that had fallen on deaf ears. Fowler’s post was the first in a series of events, including the discovery of a program to deceive law enforcement called Greyball, that eventually led to investors pushing Kalanick to step down.
Khosrowshahi has spent much of his tenure so far on an apology tour to improve relations with the millions who drive for the company. He is also working to improve relations with the hundreds of cities in which Uber operates.