Earlier this month, Uber founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick decided to take an indefinite leave of absence from the ride-hailing giant. But, fresh reports flooding the interwebs now suggest that Kalanick has resigned as the C.E.O when the company is caught amid a series of controversies that’ve been steadily unraveling over the past few months.
With regards to the same, the New York Times reports that it has got its hand on the copy of a letter titled ‘Moving Uber Forward’ and it has been directed towards the chief executive himself. The result of hours long debate between significant investors of Uber, this letter has insisted Kalanick to step down from his present executive role and take time off from the ride-hailing giant — which already is the due course of action.
[mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#dd3333″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]The investors made their demand for Mr. Kalanick to resign in a letter delivered to the chief executive.[/mks_pullquote]The investors who have been thoroughly shaken by the number of embroiling controversies that have been brought against Uber in the past few months. It was kicked off by sexual harassment complaints by former engineer Susan Fowler, followed by long debates. It was then followed by reports of Uber employing secretive software to track local regulators and its competitor — Lyft drivers. And how can one forget the embroiling patent infringement lawsuit with Google’s Waymo.
Citing sources privy to the developments, the New York Times goes on to mention:
Five of Uber’s major investors demanded that the chief executive resigns immediately. he investors included one of Uber’s biggest shareholders, the venture capital firm Benchmark, which has one of its partners, Bill Gurley, on Uber’s board. The investors made their demand for Mr. Kalanick to resign in a letter delivered to the chief executive while he was in Chicago.
While this was just another report when the news of the chief executives’ departure broke out but Kalanick has now confirmed that the rumors are in fact true.
[mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#dd3333″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]Travis has always put Uber first. This is a bold decision and a sign of his devotion and love for Uber.[/mks_pullquote]He has decided to accept the advice passed on by the company’s prominent investors so Uber can get back to its normal state, working to simplify and innovate our travel experience.
Also, for those aloof, Kalanick also needs some time from the company to grieve his recent family tragedy, where he lost his mother in a recent boating accident. He has stated in his leave of absence that he is stepping away from day-to-day activities at Uber to now reflect and work on himself, the world-class workplace he should’ve built, and the ambitions he’s leaving behind at the moment. In an official statement, he accepted the decision and said:
I love Uber more than anything in the world and at this difficult moment in my personal life I have accepted the investors request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight.
While Uber may have been plagued with mass management exodus since the reports of its male-dominant toxic workplace culture started to surface on the interwebs. The company has witnessed its President Jeff Jones, who joined just six months ago, step down from his position over the revelations of the company’s culture. It was followed by several executive departures — some self-induced while others were the result of an external investigation, which saw 20+ employees being ousted from Uber.
Well, it is definitely saddening for Uber to see its charming chief executive go, but he is not completely abandoning the ride-hailing giant. The company’s big investors and Kalanick after a lengthy discussion have reached the conclusion that Kalanick will continue to hold a board position. In the letter, the investors go on to mention:
Travis has always put Uber first. This is a bold decision and a sign of his devotion and love for Uber. 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. We look forward to continuing to serve with him on the board.
