Expedia confirms its CEO has been offered Uber job
DETROIT — Expedia is confirming that CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has been offered the top job at ridehailing company Uber.
Barry Diller, board chairman of the travel booking site, said in a note to employees Monday that he believes Khosrowshahi intends to take the new post, but Diller says nothing has been finalized.
The employee note was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It was the first official confirmation that Khosrowshahi has been offered the Uber job.
The Associated Press reported Sunday that Uber’s board decided on Khosrowshahi. Uber was to make an official statement later Monday after Khosrowshahi met with employees. Khosrowshahi would replace ousted CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick and will be tasked with changing the company’s dysfunctional culture and leading it from money loser to turning a profit.
In the note, Diller wrote that he has discussed the Uber post with Khosrowshahi extensively, and that Khosrowshahi has been struggling with the decision out of loyalty to Expedia and its employees.
“I know Dara would like to communicate now with all of you, but I’ve asked him not to until this is fully resolved,” Diller wrote.
He has Diller’s blessing if he chooses to depart, and he would leave behind a talented group of executives, Diller wrote.
Uber’s fractured eightmember board voted to hire Khosrowshahi late Sunday, capping three days of presentations and discussions with candidates. One faction of the board led by Kalanick wanted former General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt while another led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Benchmark wanted Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman.
Immelt withdrew Sunday, and it was unclear if Whitman was ever really back in the race after multiple public statements disavowing interest.
Both factions were impressed with Khosrowshahi, whose became the consensus candidate after he made a straightforward presentation that detailed his work and qualifications, one person briefed on the matter said.
“He was very much no drama,” said the person, who did not want to be identified because the board meeting was private.
Khosrowshahi, 48, has worked at IAC/InterActiveCorp. for many years and led Expedia after its spinoff from IAC in August of 2015. Uber’s dysfunctional culture includes rampant sexual harassment and allegations of deceit and corporate espionage.