Expedia CEO tapped as next leader at Uber
DETROIT — Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has been named Uber’s top executive, taking the difficult job of mending the dysfunctional ridehailing giant and turning it from money-losing behemoth to a profitable company.
Uber’s fractured eight-member board voted to hire Khosrowshahi late yesterday, capping three days of meetings and the withdrawal of once-top candidate Jeffery Immelt, former CEO and still chairman of General Electric, two people briefed on the decision said.
They didn’t want to be identified because the decision had not been officially announced as of last night.
Khosrowshahi has been CEO of Expedia since August 2015. The online booking site is one of the largest travel agencies in the world.
He’ll replace ousted CEO Travis Kalanick and faces the difficult task of changing Uber’s culture that has included sexual harassment and allegations of deceit and corporate espionage. Uber also is losing millions every quarter as it continues to expand and invest in self-driving cars.
The company currently is being run by a 14-person group of managers and is without multiple top executive positions that will be filled by Khosrowshahi.
Khosrowshahi has served as a member of Expedia’s board since it was spun off from IAC/InterActiveCorp. two years ago. An engineer who trained at Brown University, Khosrowshahi helped to expand IAC’s travel brands which were combined into Expedia, the company’s website says.
Khosrowshahi also must bring together a messy culture that an outside law firm found was rampant with sexual harassment and bullying of employees.