Why it matters to you
After months without a leader, Uber is eager for someone new to take the reins. And it could be Jeff Immelt.
After a tumultuous several months, complete with resignations, lawsuits, and plenty of bad blood, it looks like Uber is finally gaining new leadership. As first reported by Recode, it would appear that the former chairman of General Electric, Jeff Immelt, has emerged as the top candidate to take on the reins at Uber. According to sources, the majority of Uber’s board has decided to back the experienced executive.
While there are apparently two other contenders still in consideration, a final decision is fast approaching. Uber’s directors are expected to vote on a new CEO within the next two weeks, and whichever candidate wins the majority will certainly have his work cut out for him. Although the hope is that the final vote will be unanimous, it doesn’t necessarily have to be (nor is it guaranteed to be).
“We know it is never going to be a perfect choice, but everyone is becoming exhausted,” one person close to the situation said, as per Recode. “We need someone with the skills to move us along.”
And based on his resume, it certainly appears that Immelt has those skills. As another source told Recode, “[Immelt] certainly is not someone anyone can push around easily, which is probably his best characteristic. We all know Immelt’s not the dynamic entrepreneur that Travis is, but he can certainly settle things down.”
Even so, there’s quite a bit to be done at the beleaguered ride sharing giant. Competitors in both the U.S. and abroad seem to have made up ground in the wake of the leadership fiasco that has hijacked headlines for most of 2017. Uber faces more challengers than ever in international markets, and even at home, Lyft is proving that it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Moreover, Uber has plenty of lawsuits from disgruntled drivers to face, as well as some from disabled persons’ advocates. And while the company has a seemingly astronomical valuation, it’s still losing about a billion dollars a year.
So whether Uber’s next CEO is Jeff Immelt or someone else entirely, it would be nice to see the company make some improvements from within.