Uber’s president resigns, saying beliefs were ‘inconsistent’ to company leadership

Another week brings another round of bad press for Uber.

The ride-hailing company that seems to be a magnet for controversy has lost its president: Jeff Jones recently handed in his resignation.

In his wake, he questioned the company’s leadership and direction, saying this in a statement to Recode:

I joined Uber because of its Mission, and the challenge to build global capabilities that would help the company mature and thrive long-term.

It is now clear, however, that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ride sharing business.

There are thousands of amazing people at the company, and I truly wish everyone well.

Uber’s chief executive, Travis Kalanick, gave a tight-lipped public statement:

We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best.

Behind the scenes, Kalanick was more open, telling his staff in a note:

After we announced our intention to hire a COO, Jeff came to the tough decision that he doesn’t see his future at Uber. It is unfortunate that this was announced through the press but I thought it was important to send all of you an email before providing comment publicly.

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In October, Uber hired Jones from his position at Target to help clean up the image problems the company cultivated through some of its questionable business tactics and Kalanick’s increasingly frequent missteps.

In recent weeks, a former female engineer detailed stories of misogyny and dysfunction at the company, and a viral video involving Kalanick arguing with a driver followed shortly after. The company brought in former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder to investigate the former and pledged to seek leadership help following the latter.

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