SAY SO LONG TO UBER CEO
Kalanick out at ride-hailing giant
The controversial CEO of ride-hailing giant Uber has resigned after a five-month media blitz focused on allegations of rampant sexual harassment at the company, a leaked late-night tirade directed at an Uber driver, and seemingly endless revelations of misconduct.
“I’m not happy when anybody resigns, but the things that were going on, the public relations things ... I think it’s a positive thing,” said Stephen Harris, an Uber driver who works full time in the Boston area. “It’s hard for him but I think it’s a good thing for the company.”
Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive and founder, announced yesterday he will leave his post at the head of the San Francisco-based company, telling The New York Times he agreed to step aside after a request from five large shareholders so, “Uber
can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight.”
Those investors included Boston-based Fidelity Investments, one of the company’s largest backers, according to reports. A Fidelity spokesman declined to comment.
Uber has been besieged by wave after wave of controversy since February, much of which stemmed from a blog post published by former Uber engineer Susan J. Fowler detailing widespread sexual harassment and a company culture that excused poor behavior as long as employees continued to perform.
Just last week Uber released the findings of a report compiled by former Attorney General Eric Holder that recommended widespread cultural changes and led to the firing of 20 employees. In addition to the sexual harassment allegations, Uber is facing a lawsuit from Waymo — the self-driving vehicle company owned by Google’s parent company — that claims the company stole proprietary technology, and allegations two senior employees accessed the medical records of a woman raped by an Uber driver in Indiana because they didn’t believe her story. Kalanick has also been dealing with the sudden death of his mother.
In a statement, Uber’s board of directors said Kalanick’s departure would let the company move beyond the controversies, saying: “By stepping away, he’s taking the time to heal from his personal tragedy while giving the company room to fully embrace this new chapter in Uber’s history.”
Kalanick’s departure means the company is without a CEO, a chief financial officer, a chief marketing officer, a chief operating officer and a president — all positions that have been vacated this year.
“In some ways, you’re starting from scratch, and that’s going to be a challenge,” said Neal Hartman, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. “It probably is a mixed blessing, it does create an opportunity if Uber is serious about wanting to