Uber president Jeff Jones has resigned after a mere six months in his post, as the ridesharing company continues to struggle with controversies that have included charges of sexism and sexual harassment.
Jones told tech blog Recode:
"The beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ridesharing business."
The under-fire San Francisco-based company confirmed that Mr Jones was leaving, stating:
"We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best."
The BBC reports that, privately, Uber executives were disappointed at what they perceived to be a lack of professional courtesy in informing them of his plans and that Jones' decision was "completely unexpected".
Brian McClendon, president of maps and business platform at Uber, is yet another executive set to leave Uber. His newly-confirmed departure is an amicable one and he will continue to advise the company.
Jeff Jones (left) with Richard Branson. (twitter.com/jjones)
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced earlier this month that he was looking to hire a chief operating officer (effectively a second-in-command) to steady the ship, with it becoming apparent that Mr Jones was not in the running for the newly-created position.
Mr Kalanick has now said in a note to staff:
"After we announced our intention to hire a COO, Jeff came to the tough decision that he doesn't see his future at Uber. It is unfortunate that this was announced through the press but I thought it was important to send all of an email before providing comment publicly."
Last month, chief executive Travis Kalanick (pictured above) was forced to apologise after video emerged of him getting into a foul-mouthed argument with one of the company's drivers over falling pay rates.
The Californian businessman admitted that he was "ashamed" of his actions and that he needed to "grow up" and get help following the publication of dashcam footage showing him angrily dismissing the driver's concerns as "bulls***".
"Some people don't like to take responsibility for their own s***," he was seen saying. "They blame everything in their life on somebody else."
The decision to hire "a chief operating officer, a peer who can partner with me to write the next chapter in our journey" came directly in the aftermath of that controversy.
Whoever joins Kalanick's side will be tasked with helping to repair the company's image after a number of other scandals in recent months, including employee allegations of sexual harassment, cut-throat management and a toxic work environment.
Kalanick also caused controversy after he accepted an invitation to be a part of a business advisory group for President Donald Trump. His involvement in the group sparked a backlash from the app's customers, with the hashtag #DeleteUber going viral on Twitter, and he stepped down soon afterwards.
