Why Ruth Porat Should Be Uber’s Next CEO

Travis Kalanick was ousted in a boardroom coup on Tuesday by Uber’s earliest investors. Now, the ride-sharing giant needs a new CEO (in addition to a new COO, CFO, and other positions). The coup was not bloodless. Longtime board members Bill Gurley and David Bonderman were both casualties, and will be replaced by Matt Cohler and David Trujillo. While the new board members continue representation for the same investors (Benchmark and TPG Capital respectively), that change is the first step to a larger Uber culture turnaround, and will allow for new personal relationships to grow. Given that Travis Kalanick maintains majority voting rights and will continue to remain the chairman of the board, this is an important consideration. In order for the board to resume normal functioning without everyone at each other’s throats, the feuds must subside.