Uber Technologies vowed to repair a culture that has led
to leadership turnover and to improve its relationship with drivers.
Speaking on a press call, board member Arianna Huffington,
chief human resources officer Liane Hornsey and head of North American business
operations Rachel Holt acknowledged that the company has been challenged by its
rapid growth as well as internal management issues.
Huffington, in reference to a so-called "All Hands"
meeting among Uber executives and board members in late February, said that CEO
Travis Kalanick has acknowledged that his aggressive management style may have
spurred some of the issues related to the company's culture. Kalanick was not
on Tuesday's press call.
"Put simply, change starts at
the top," Huffington said. "That's why Travis accepted responsibility
from the first All Hands [meeting] and apologized for leading the company to
that point."
Holt, who has been with the company for more
than five years, said the adjustments start with garnering more trust from drivers.
She said the company will give drivers more say in how fares are calculated for
canceled or incomplete trips, and will factor in drivers' experience when
deciding if or when a driver gets suspended because of rider complaints.
"The last two months have been incredibly challenging,"
said Holt. "We've underinvested in the driver experience and relationships
with many drivers are frayed. We are now re-examining everything we do in order
to rebuild that love."
Huffington, the former media mogul who joined Uber's board
about a year ago, reiterated that the company is looking for a chief operating
officer. That effort has taken on additional urgency after Jeff Jones said this
week that he was stepping down as Uber's president after less than seven months
on the job. Jones, the former chief marketing officer of retailer Target Corp.,
reportedly said that Uber's culture didn't jibe with his leadership philosophy.