Travis Kalanick has stepped down as the CEO of the ride hailing startup Uber. This decision comes following a ‘shareholder revolt’ led by some of Uber’s most prominent investors.
Last week Kalanick had announced that he would be taking a leave of absence from the company. But amid high pressure from investors and major scandals surrounding the company, embattled CEO had to resign the company he helped found in 2009.
According to New York Times, five of Uber’s major investors including the venture capital firm Benchmark demanded the resignation of the CEO immediately. In a letter titled “Moving Uber Forward”, the investors emphasized Uber needed a change of leadership. After hours of discussions, Kalanick agreed to step down from his position but will remain on Uber’s board and will control a majority of voting shares.
This was a harsh year for the company as they faced allegations of workplace harassment, discrimination, leadership troubles and a lawsuit claiming intellectual property theft. Senior Uber executives also obtained the medical records of a woman who was allegedly raped in a cab in India.
In a statement to the New York Times, Kalanick said he agreed with the wishes of the investors so that Uber can go back to building rather than get distracted with another fight. Kalanick turned the company into the dominant ride hailing service that it is today and revolutionized the transportation industry around the world.
Uber board members added that Kalanick had always put Uber first and his move would give the company room to embrace a new chapter. Uber’s valuation increased to a whopping $70 billion and has raised more than $11 billion since its inception in 2009. According to the letter sent to Kalanick, he will help the board led search committee to find a new and experienced chief executive for Uber.
