Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to Take Leave of Absence

Kalanick might return in a role with less authority or less responsibilities.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. (Photo: Reuters)

Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Travis Kalanick informed his staff that he will be taking a leave of absence, without specifying the return date, Bloomberg reported.

In a memo sent to his employees, Kalanick informed members of the company that he must work on “Travis 2.0” before working “Uber 2.0”.

Uber’s board met on Sunday to consider recommendations from an outside attorney’s investigation into charges of sexual harassment and related issues.

A source briefed on the matter said there is a possibility that Kalanick might return in a role with less authority; either in a position other than CEO, or as CEO with narrower responsibilities and subject to stronger oversight.

US attorney general Eric Holder, who was hired by the cab-hailing app company to look into the allegations of sexual harassment within the company, will disclose the results of the probe during a staff meeting on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported.

On Monday, Emil Michael, senior vice president and a close Kalanick ally, left the company, the source said.

Earlier the company fired 20 employees over a variety of reasons.

Meanwhile, the company also faces potential lawsuits after word got out that a top executive had obtained and circulated medical records of a customer who was raped by her Uber driver in India in 2014.

Though the driver was convicted in 2015, Kalanick and other executives became convinced that the crime was a set up by a local competitor, Ola.