Uber’s No. 2 exec departs, CEO may take a leave as board approves Holder report proposals
Acting on an investigation of Uber Technologies Inc.’s management and culture, the ride-hailing giant’s board of directors said Sunday it will “implement all of the recommendations” of its completed report, though it’s not entirely clear yet what they are.
One thing’s certain as of Monday: Emil Michael, Uber’s senior vice president for business and the lieutenant of Chief Executive Travis Kalanick (pictured), is leaving. Michael, who joined Uber in 2013, has been under fire since 2014, when he suggested Uber should investigate journalists critical of the company. He told employees about his departure in an email.
Another prime possibility following the investigation led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, according to a number of publications, is that Kalanick could take a leave of absence. His company has been the subject of many accusations of sexual harassment thanks to an aggressive “bro” culture.
In addition, according to sources cited by Bloomberg, Uber plans to appoint Wan Ling Martello, an executive vice president at Nestle SA, to the board.
The board met on Sunday to talk about changes regarding the company’s management structure. The changes the board will implement will be revealed to Uber staff on Tuesday.
Michael’s resignation comes on top of a long list of Uber executives and staff exiting the company during what has been a period of seemingly never-ending turmoil. A separate investigation has led to at least 20 people being fired, while several staff have been given written warnings and others asked to undergo counseling or training. The investigation had unfettered access to 600,000 of Uber’s internal documents, according to the law firm in charge of the investigation.
It’s not yet known what the reasons are for Kalanick’s possible three-month leave of absence, although according to reports he had already discussed with the board taking some time off following the death of his mother in a boating accident last month. Still, it’s not hard to connect a leave of absence to the investigation as well.
Since Kalanick started the company in 2009, it has upended the public transport industry on a global scale, earning it a valuation of $70 billion. Uber has met with a torrent of controversy relating not only to its business model, but claims by staff the company is badly managed and is rife with sexism and sexual harassment.
Uber is also currently involved in a legal battle with Google Inc.-owned self-driving car unit Waymo Inc. over intellectual property theft. The company recently fired top self-driving car engineer Anthony Levandowski, who is at the center of the scandal.
It’s expected on Tuesday that more executives could be shown the door, with Holder’s findings apparently unearthing some undesirable aspects regarding the company workplace.
Image: Adam Tinworth via Flickr
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