It appears that the position of Travis Kalanick, as CEO of Uber, has become untenable after a 2017 to forget. The ride-sharing giant, now worth an estimated $70 billion (£55 billion) has been steeped in controversy in the first half of this year, which ultimately led to Kalanick’s resignation.
The firm has several accusations of sexual harassment against it and it was identified as a company that promoted a macho culture. This led to the resignation of a number of senior executives, culminating with Kalanick’s own departure.
>See also: Uber considering the future of CEO Travis Kalanick
It has been reported that Kalanick had a reputation for machismo, which led to a hostile environment inside Uber. The culture of the company was called into question with constant stories about internal sexism and disputes with drivers. In February 2017, a blog post by former Uber engineer Susan J Fowler, which described her experiences of sexism at Uber, went viral and began a long list of controversies for the ride-sharing giant.
The former CEO has already said he was considering taking a leave of absence after his mother died in a boating accident. He has also said, following a recorded outburst on an Uber driver, that he needed to revaluate his position as CEO and “grow up”.
>See also: Uber to introduce driverless service
Arianna Huffington, an Uber board member reiterated this and said Kalanick needed to change his leadership style before his departure this week. She continued that he needed to change from a “scrappy entrepreneur” to a “leader of a major global company.”
“Travis’s biggest strength is that he will run through a wall to accomplish his goals,” investor and mentor Mark Cuban told the New York Times. “Travis’s biggest weakness is that he will run through a wall to accomplish his goals. That’s the best way to describe him.”
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