Travis Kalanick is no longer CEO, but he'll have a hand in picking his successor
Kalanick will be a part of the search for Uber's new CEO since he's retaining his board seat and all of his voting rights, according to a person familiar with his plans.
Uber's board will be leading the search for a new chief executive to oversee the world's most valuable private startup. The hunt won't be easy, given the slew of scandals and lawsuits the company is currently facing.
Kalanick resigned late Tuesday night in California after a group of Uber investors with 39% of the company's shares wrote him a letter asking him to step aside. In an email to employees, Kalanick said he was stepping down to avoid a fight that could distract Uber from its effort to turn itself around.
Despite leaving the top position, Kalanick's role on the board won't be diminished. He still has his super-voting shares, which, together with those held by early Uber employees Garrett Camp and Ryan Graves, give him majority control of the company. He is being treated as a full member of the board, the person familiar with his plans said.
The CEO search is now the board's leading priority, taking precedence over the company's previous hunt for a chief operating officer who was supposed to act as a "full partner" to Kalanick. Kalanick's departure now leaves the CEO, COO, chief financial officer, and general counsel positions vacant at Uber. For now, the $69 billion ride-hailing giant is being led by a committee of 14 executives.