It’s been more than a month since Kalanick stepped down as CEO of Uber, and while there hasn’t been much buzz about the company’s culture or Kalanick’s departure, the company’s CEO throne is still up for grabs.
It is clear that no technology company worth more than tens of billions of dollars has been unseated for so long. The ride-hailing app’s management seems to have caught on with the “driverless” fad.
However, Due to its poor management, Uber has started its worldwide “business retreat”. On July 22, Uber announced that it would officially pull out of Macau because it could not “ensure a sound business environment” and “fully leverage the advantages of ride-sharing” in the territory.
Before announcing its exit from Macau, Uber also said it would cede its markets in and around Russia to Russian search giant Yandex. The two companies will combine their ride-sharing operations, leaving Yandex with 59% and Uber with 37%.
After the Macao incident, Uber’s business development was “disappeared” in the media. All of a sudden, there was no eye-catching news about Uber except “Uber board struggle” and “Uber CEO candidate” on the Internet.
“Hot potato”, who will take over
The final candidate for Uber’s TOP job is still up in the air after many stormy days. Multiple media outlets have previously speculated on possible CEO candidates, and Geek Park has analyzed them. In addition to our list, Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay and then CEO of HEWLETT-PACKARD, is highly favored among the candidates. However, she also announced on Her Twitter account that she would not be joining Uber, which seems to have focused on male candidates.
According to Recode, the reason for Whitman’s departure is more complicated than previously reported. She did seriously consider the CEO job at Uber, and has had in-depth meetings with senior Uber executives in which she has talked about how she wants to solve Uber’s current problems.
But people close to Whitman say that Uber hasn’t really made an offer to her, but that she remains hopeful. According to Recode, the main reason Whitman didn’t become CEO was due to internal turmoil on Uber’s board.
According to the New York Times, Uber’s board has been at war with itself for weeks, leading to leaks of internal company information. In the end, the board decided to “call a truce to avoid another media storm”. Whitman chose to get out of the Uber mess after the backstabbing among board members led to a massive leak of internal information.
Recode published more details about Whitman’s case. Whitman reportedly gave Uber’s board 48 hours to seriously consider her as Uber’s next CEO. She was scheduled to meet with Uber board members 48 hours later to discuss their deliberations. But she couldn’t wait to hear from the board, so she left.
Of the remaining candidates, General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt is getting the most attention, but according to multiple foreign sources, Immelt is not the preferred choice of Uber’s board. Uber executives say that despite Immelt’s experience, he lacks “the entrepreneurial spirit to lead Uber into its next phase of growth.”
Uber’s chaotic board of directors
Uber’s board of directors is in disarray, from indecisiveness over CEO candidates to massive leaks of inside information to Uber’s worldwide “business retreat.” “Uber’s board has never been on the same page,” says an Uber employee.
According to VentureBeat, Uber’s board is split into several factions, with some members still expressing confidence in Kalanick. Competing for interests among factions led to inefficient decision-making, and their mutual slander also attracted high media attention, making the company constantly turbulent.
Moreover, SoftBank’s announcement that it would invest heavily in Uber had an impact on the conflicting interests of board members and exacerbated the division. Some board members wanted the investment, while others thought it would make Mr Son and Mr Kalanick Allies. However, several prominent foreign media outlets said late last night Beijing time that SoftBank would walk away from the investment, which will only make the board’s internal relations more delicate.
Adding to the board’s confusion is Kalanick, who is still eyeing Uber.
Kalanick: I’m coming back as Steve Jobs
Kalanick continues to fan the flames of the current drama. According to Recode, Kalanick is taking advantage of Uber’s board of indecision to maximize his interests. Some say he used conspiratorial tactics to drive a wedge between the board so he could return to Uber. Recode also said That Kalanick wanted not only to return to Uber, but also to reclaim his CEO position.
Kalanick himself has told many that he will “come back as Steve Jobs”, suggesting that he is the right person to lead Uber to its next success.
Kalanick has been busy since he left Uber. After he stepped down, he still managed to get involved in daily operational decisions, and many executives have been discussing how to “enlist support” from the board to remove him altogether, according to company insiders.
But unlike Steve Jobs, who left Apple for years to make a comeback on his own, Kalanick has been haunting Uber. According to one of Kalanick’s fans, “Uber is his baby, and the recent death of his mother explains why he’s holding on to It.”
The return of Kalanick’s much-maligned culture isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Instead, he could be the key to restoring the company to greatness. As Geekpark has previously reported, founder ceos are an integral part of the tech business. Generally speaking, they have rich professional knowledge, set the basic concept of the company, plan the future development blueprint of the company, and can gather people when facing reform. They have dedicated their lives to the company and want to see it thrive, which is why so many Uber employees don’t want to see Kalanick go.
Uber will announce its final CANDIDATE for CEO in about six weeks, according to foreign media. Who will win the CEO battle, and will Uber’s boardroom turmoil die down? Stay tuned with Geek Park.
Recode, VentureBeat, Business Insider
Head image source: Recode