Uber CEO Apologizes To Company Staff In Meeting; Meeting Said To Be “Honest, Raw and Emotional”

Following an ex-employee claims of sexual harassment and gender bias at ride-sharing giant Uber, CEO Travis Kalanick led an “all-hands” meeting at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. Several employees who attended the meeting said the atmosphere was “honest, raw, and emotional.”

The employees, who confided to The Verge, said they saw a new side of Kalanick, who hosted the meeting-turned Q&A session with the employees.

“They came away believing that the Uber CEO was taking these allegations extremely seriously and personally, and was completely invested in the results of the investigation,” Andrew J. Hawkins for the site wrote.

Kalanick was not the only one hosting the meeting. The Uber CEO was also joined by Arianna Huffington, who is also on the board, and the company’s head of Human Resources. Bloomberg reported. At times with tears in his eyes, Kalanick apologized for not addressing employee complaints and the lack of diversity in the company.

Huffington wrote in a company blog post that although Uber is vowing to make things happen, the company is asking for understanding as they go about making changes. She said, "Travis spoke very honestly about the mistakes he’s made—and about how he wants to take the events of the last 48-hours to build a better Uber. Change doesn’t usually happen without a catalyst. I hope that by taking the time to understand what’s gone wrong and fixing it we can not only make Uber better but also contribute to improvements for women across the industry."