Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Steps Down After Shareholders Call for His Resignation

Plagued by recent company scandals, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has stepped down from his position at the company following a shareholder revolt.

The Washington Post reports that Kalanick, a founding member of the ride-sharing app Uber, has stepped down from his position as CEO following a request for his resignation from five of the company’s major shareholders. The call for Kalanick’s resignation comes shortly after a number of company scandals. Earlier this month, twenty employees were fired following a sexual harassment investigation. Just days later, an Uber executive was fired for sharing the medical records of a woman raped by an Uber driver in India in 2014.

Kalanick’s resignation comes just a week after the announcement that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the company. Kalanick commented on his departure from Uber, saying, “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.” Emil Michael, Uber’s Senior Vice President and ally of Kalanick was also reportedly pressured to leave the company.

Kalanick himself came under fire in March after a video emerged of the CEO arguing with an Uber driver about pay rates. After the driver complained about the sudden cut to driver pay rates, Kalanick responded, “Some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own shit. They blame everything in their life on somebody else. Good luck!” Kalanick responded to the video in a statement, saying, “It’s clear this video is a reflection of me – and the criticism we’ve received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up,” he continued to say, “This is the first time I’ve been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it.”