Rumors about Uber's plans to hire a Chief Operations Officer (COO) have recently been confirmed. Uber's CEO himself, Travis Kalanick, has announced that the company is now looking for a COO.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has shared that the company is now looking for a Chief Operations Officer to help him run Uber. The search for Uber's next COO follows a slew of controversy that has plagued the online transportation network company, which has its headquarters in San Francisco, California.
Uber has recently been hit by allegations that instances of sexual harassment are "routinely ignore[d]." A video of Kalanick has also surfaced, and the footage shows Uber's CEO losing his temper when a driver talked to him about "steep cuts" in the ride-hailing company's rates for the premium version of its service.
When the video leaked, Kalanick asked for forgiveness after admitting that he is in need of "leadership help." The Uber CEO also stated that he must "grow up." The ride-hailing company also admitted that a program dubbed "Greyball" is being used to "thwart authorities" that are trying to restrict or shut down its services in cities worldwide.
Kalanick allegedly informed his employees that Uber is on the lookout for a COO that can assist him in running the "troubled" ride-sharing company, per Recode. Uber's CEO formally announced the company's search for a COO during a slide presentation regarding the ride-sharing company's business at its headquarters in San Francisco.
Uber also released a statement from Kalanick, which read, "This morning I told the Uber team that we're actively looking for a Chief Operating Officer: a peer who can partner with me to write the next chapter in our journey."
The ride-sharing company has reportedly signed up for the services of a search firm to help in the search for its next COO. A lot of names are in the running, but according to sources, Uber's board members prefer a female exec, mimicking Mark Zuckerberg's decision to hire Sheryl Sandberg in 2008 when Facebook was also having issues. Sandberg previously worked for Google.
However, due to Uber's recent problems, the company isn't having an easy time with the search. Uber remains hopeful, and the company's dream candidates include former Disney COO Tom Staggs and CV exec Helena Foulkes. Uber is also allegedly looking for female candidates to replace David Drummond. Drummond has recently left his seat on Uber's board.
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