Kalanick & Michael Out, Martello In at Uber?
More shake-ups are coming to Uber after a meeting Sunday, in which the board of directors reportedly voted to accept all of the recommendations made by former US Attorney General Eric Holder.
Holder's law firm, Covington & Burling, has been in the midst of a months-long investigation into scandals at the ride-hailing company.
Holder's full recommendations will be made public to Uber employees -- and presumably the public -- tomorrow, but anonymous sources have told the New York Times that Uber's directors are considering a three-month leave of absence for CEO Travis Kalanick, but may leave the decision up to him. Whether Uber's Senior Vice President of Business Emil Michael, who has been involved in many of Uber's past imbroglios, should also be forced out was apparently on the meeting agenda as well.
At the same time, the board has reportedly approved the addition of Nestle exec and Alibaba board member Wan Ling Martello as an independent director to help right the ship.
The full report will likely be available tomorrow, but in the meantime catch up on all the Uber drama here on Women in Comms and Light Reading:
- Uber Drains the Swamp, but Is It Too Deep?
- Uber Upside
- Culture in Crisis: What's Next for Uber & Tech?
- Uber's HR Nightmare: Company Investigates Sexual Harassment Claims
- Uber & Out
- Uber Employs 15% Women in Tech Roles
- WiCipedia: Uber's Catalyst for Change & Trump Signs STEM Bills
- Uber Engineering SVP Out as Probe Continues
- WiC Panel: Diversity Must Flow Top Down
- WiCipedia: More Uber Upsets & Tennis to Tech
- Silicon Valley Writer Foresees End of Bro Culture
— Sarah Thomas,
, Director, Women in Comms

That aside, is a three-month leave enough? Would Uber not survive without his hard-driving personality at the helm? That's a possibility given that he's gotten them to where they are today, for better AND for worse.