Travis Kalanick Forced Out Of Uber By Investors

One of the biggest dangers in taking a company public is that sooner or later, investors are going to put pressure on the executives. In Uber’s case, the money people wanted CEO Travis Kalanick out of the ride-hailing service, forcing the combative figure to resign. Now, the company has to find a replacement and potential candidates are already being lined up.

Kalanick’s tenure as CEO at Uber has been marred with tumultuous relationships, a nightmarish treatment of employees, and negligence regarding the rights of certain segments of his workforce. After setbacks started plaguing the company in recent months, investors have finally had enough and pressured the tech figure to resign from his post, Reuters reports.

To say that Kalanick’s departure from Uber shocked the tech industry is an understatement. Although embattled, the ride-hailing firm founder did create one of the most revolutionary services in the industry. The question on the minds of those concerned now is who will replace Kalanick. As Bradley Tusk, an Uber investor said, the founder was still the best man for the job.

"The person who still best personifies Uber's potential is the person who left Tuesday night," Tusk said. "But it's not like he really could stay without it being brutally bad for the company."

In an email sent to employees, Kalanick expressed his devotion to the firm he founded and his acceptance of the wishes of the investors. With regards to potential replacements, some of the most notable candidates include Jeff Jones, Uber’s President, Recode reports. Engineering SVP Amit Singhal could also be a contender, along with Finance head, Gautam Gupta.

Of course, the company could completely go in another direction and get someone from the outside to help heal Uber. This would be the biggest challenge and someone who has never been tainted with the scandals within the firm could overcome.