Uber Shuts Doors To Travis Kalanick For Good

Last week, news started circulating that Uber’s board members might be considering bringing tech industry pariah Travis Kalanick back as CEO. The company was having difficulty finding a capable replacement, with numerous qualified individuals either saying no or being unavailable. In a recent email to employees, however, the ride-hailing brand’s bosses finally quashed the rumors.

In an email sent to staff members at Uber, company co-founder Garrett Camp addressed rumors that Kalanick might be coming back. The email was obtained by Recode and in it, Camp stressed that the ride-hailing firm was looking for a new CEO; emphasis on the new.

“Our CEO search is the board’s top priority. It’s time for a new chapter, and the right leader for our next phase [of] growth. Despite rumors I’m sure you’ve seen in the news, Travis is not returning as CEO. We are committed to hiring a new world-class CEO to lead Uber,” the email reads.

As to what caused the rumors to spread in the first place, it would seem that Kalanick himself is the perpetrator as he has been talking to publications and declaring that he was going to do a Steve Jobs and take his company back. So far, Uber executives have declined to make any comments with regards to these statements aside from the email that Camp sent out.

Unlike the famed Apple co-founder, however, Kalanick’s ousting from the company was far from being all about business. As The Hill noted, the form Uber CEO’s resignation was only due to the pressure from the board of directors following a slew of controversies, ranging from sexual harassment accusations within the company and some unfortunate words from Kalanick himself.

While it’s true that Kalanick most likely knows Uber better than anyone else, his presence might only cause more harm than good if he was ever brought back as CEO. The company is still in the process of turning its image around, after all.