Washington DC, Jun 21 (EFE).– The founder and CEO of the popular American private transport company Uber is stepping down due to pressure from shareholders, just one week after he said he would take an indefinite leave of absence, local media reported Wednesday.
The shareholders demanded Travis Kalanick’s resignation over fears that the company’s valuation could drop after it was hit by a series of scandals, according to The New York Times.
“I love Uber more than anything in the world and at this difficult moment in my personal life I have accepted the investors’ request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight,” Kalanick said in a statement sent to the newspaper.
However, he will remain on Uber’s board of directors.
Kalanick, 40, announced last week that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence “to reflect, to work on myself, and to focus on building out a world-class leadership team.”
His exit comes after an internal investigation into Uber’s corporate culture led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, prompted by accusations of discrimination and sexual harassment in the company.
Holder was hired earlier this year after a former Uber software engineer claimed the company’s management ignored complaints by her and other colleagues of sexism and sexual harassment at the firm.
In early June, Uber fired 20 employees after a separate investigation into claims of sexual and psychological harassment and discrimination.
Uber has disrupted the taxi industry and revolutionized private transport across the world since it was founded in 2009.
It has reached a valuation of $68 billion, with major investors including venture capital group Benchmark, mutual fund company BlackRock, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.