Uber Finally Gets A New CEO In Expedia Head

Uber has been looking for a new CEO to replace Travis Kalanick for months and now, the search is reportedly over. The cab-hailing firm snagged Dara Khosrowshahi, who is also the head of the travel firm, Expedia. Now it’s just a matter of deciding what kind of company it wants to be. Does it continue Kalanick’s path of expanding to every country available or does it start working on sustainability?

The news came out last Sunday when people familiar with the matter told The New York Times that the Expedia chief has been named CEO of Uber. Apparently, Khosrowshahi was one of three candidates being considered for the position and his appointment was made during a board meeting over the weekend.

One of these candidates was apparently former GE CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt. When he learned that he did not have enough support, however, he supposedly withdrew voluntarily.

Interestingly enough, board members were initially looking at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Chief Meg Whitman to fill the role. This reportedly didn’t pan out because of disagreements with regards to what Whitman wanted to do once she became the big boss. In the end, Khosrowshahi emerged the victor.

Although this development has not been confirmed by either Uber or Expedia, experts already foresee the kinds of troubles that the newly appointed CEO will face. Bloomberg notes that it’s the direction that the company will take that will present the biggest challenges.

Right now, Uber is still in a state of instability owing to its legal battle against Waymo, its slew of scandals, and its unfavorable reputation among traditional transport groups. Regulators are going to be suspicious, entire communities in certain countries will be wary of using its services, and the continuing boycott from various groups continue to be a thorn in the company’s side.

With the CEO position finally filled, perhaps Uber can start addressing these concerns and find a solution that will bring the company back from the point of destruction. That is unless Kalanick decides to interfere and make things difficult for his former comrades.