San Francisco - Uber Technologies CEO Travis Kalanick said on Tuesday the
ride-services firm is looking for a chief operating officer to
help run the company, which has been battered by a series of
damning revelations about its culture and business tactics.
Kalanick has retained a firm grip on the company since its
founding in 2009, and his pugnacious manner has helped shape
Uber's aggressive style. The San Francisco-based company's
culture has been evident in hostile interactions with city
officials over the years, threats to journalists by a senior
executive, its haste to remove critical drivers from the app,
and a blog post last month from a former employee who recounted
a workplace of sexual harassment and cut-throat competition.
A series of events bringing Uber's practices and Kalanick's
leadership into doubt has unfolded over the last few weeks,
fueling customer backlash and raising investor concern.
Kalanick's efforts to hire a No. 2 is the strongest public
indication yet that the chief executive believes Uber could
benefit from another style of leadership.
Read also: 'I must fundamentally change and grow up'- Uber CEO
"This morning I told the Uber team that we're actively
looking for a COO: a peer who can partner
with me to write the next chapter in our journey," Kalanick said
in a blog post on Tuesday.
The announcement comes a week after Kalanick publicly
apologized for a video, released by Bloomberg, that showed him
berating a Uber driver who had complained to Kalanick about rate
cuts.
"I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up,"
Kalanick, 40, said in a statement following the video's release.
"This is the first time I've been willing to admit that I need
leadership help and I intend to get it."
The extent to which a new hire could repair reputational
damage from Uber's string of missteps remains to be seen. It is
unclear how much responsibility or authority the new chief
operating officer will have.
An Uber spokesman declined to answer questions about the new
hire, which was previously reported by The Information and the
Wall Street Journal.
In addition to the video of Kalanick's argument and
allegations of sexual harassment, top engineering executive Amit
Singhal resigned last week. Singhal was asked to resign because
he did not disclose that he was the target of a sexual
harassment allegation during his tenure at Alphabet's Google.
Singhal has denied the allegations.
Read also: Alphabet lawsuit against Uber ends uneasy marriage
Also, Uber last week said it had for years has used a secret
tool to avoid authorities in markets where its service faced
resistance by law enforcement or was banned, confirming a report
by The New York Times.
And Uber is battling a lawsuit filed by Alphabet Inc's
self-driving car unit, Waymo, which accuses Uber of stealing
designs for technology for autonomous cars.
Uber has said Waymo's claims are false.
Early Uber investors Mitch and Freada Kapor last month
publicly rebuked the company in a letter posted online for its
"tolerance for bullying and harassment," and called on Uber to
change its "destructive culture."
They are the only investors to publicly criticize Uber's
behavior in response to recent allegations.