On Tuesday, the founder and CEO of successful tech and transportation company Uber officially resigned from his position, a decision which came in response to calls for his resignation from many of the company’s investors.
Travis Kalanick announced his resignation in a statement to the New York Times. In the statement, Kalanick indicated that he felt his negative public perception was too much of a distraction to Uber’s success and continued growth.
“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.”
Prior to Kalanick’s resignation, five of the company’s largest investors and board members penned a letter to Uber, demanding Kalanick’s resignation. The demanding letter came shortly after an investor revolt.
Kalanick had previously taken an indefinite hiatus from his head position at the company, citing a sick mother as his reason for the absence. Despite Kalanick’s explanation, it seemed clear that the CEO was just one of many executives at Uber eager to distance themselves from the increasingly toxic culture and perception.
Uber has continually come up against major roadblocks concerning its treatment of customers and employees. Most recently, an executive was forced to resign after he made sexist comments during a company meeting focused entirely on dealing with sexism and harassment.
If Uber continues to fail, it is not without trying to fix itself; last month, Uber brought former Obama Administration A.G. Eric Holder to assess the company and provide a solution to its many problems.
Now that Kalanick is out, it will be important to see whether Uber’s culture at its root changes under new leadership. As the company continues to be embroiled in scandal surrounding its treatment of women and its relationship with the public, is there still time for it to make a comeback?
