Uber president quits after just 6 months on the job

Just six months after joining Uber as its president and the head of the company’s ridesharing business, Jeff Jones has thrown in the towel, citing differences in the approach to leadership there.

Jones joined Uber in the fall after a five-year stint at Target as the retail giant’s CMO. He replaced board member Ryan Graves, who’s currently in charge of the UberEverything delivery division. CEO Travis Kalanick noted that the two met after he delivered a TED talk in February and was keen on having someone experienced join the company as it worked to “build a global brand infused in every customer interaction.”

According to Recode’s sources, the spate of damaging incidents within the firm that have come to light recently – including complaints about sexism from a former employee and the departure of its SVP of engineering over his failure to disclose an allegation of sexual harassment at his previous gig -made it impossible for Jones to continue his tenure at Uber:

I joined Uber because of its Mission, and the challenge to build global capabilities that would help the company mature and thrive long-term.

It is now clear, however, that 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 ride sharing business.

There are thousands of amazing people at the company, and I truly wish everyone well.

Jones isn’t the only one quitting Uber this month. The New York Times reports that Brian McClendon, vice president of maps and business platform, is leaving on March 28 to explore a career in politics in Kansas. Other recent departures include Raffi Krikorian, a director in the company’s self-driving division, and VP of product and growth Ed Baker both left this month.

The news of Jones’ departure follows Kalanick’s announcement earlier this month that he is looking for a COO. It also makes it clear that Uber clearly has its work cut out for it in fixing its internal issues and culture. In addition to a new COO, Kalanick now has to find a president who’s willing to handle the garbage fire that the company’s inner workings have become.