Uber president Jeff Jones quits over management issues
20 Mar 2017
Jeff Jones, the president of Uber has quit the car-hailing company after less than a year. According to sources, the move was directly related to the multiple controversies at the company, including explosive charges of sexism and sexual harassment.
Confirming the departure, Uber said in a statement, ''We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best.'' And, in a note to staff, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said, ''After we announced our intention to hire a COO, Jeff came to the tough decision that he doesn't see his future at Uber. It is unfortunate that this was announced through the press but I thought it was important to send all of you an email before providing comment publicly."
Confirming the departure, Jones said in a statement to Recode, ''It is now clear, however, that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ride sharing business.''
According to sources, Jones found that the situation at the company was not the one he signed on for, especially after Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced a search for a new COO to help steer the company.
Kalanick and Jones met just a year ago at the TED conference in Vancouver. Jones replaced board member Ryan Graves, who now heads the company's delivery business UberEverything.
Much of Jones' initial tenure as president of Uber was spent meeting with drivers, after which he sent drivers an email about what he learned and what the company intends to do.
"It's clear that there's much we can be doing better. Listening is where we get our best ideas, because they come from you, the people using Uber every day " he wrote.
