Uber's current CEO and the chain of command

Dara Khosrowshahi has been Uber's Chief Executive Officer since August 2017. He replaced Travis Kalanick, who founded the company and stepped down after internal investigations into workplace culture and harassment. Khosrowshahi came to Uber from Expedia, where he spent twelve years and eventually became CEO.

Below Khosrowshahi, Uber's leadership includes a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, and regional heads who oversee different markets. The company also has a Board of Directors that includes investors and independent members who approve major decisions. For drivers, the most relevant leaders are usually the regional or country-level heads, since they set policies that affect how the app works in your area.

Leadership changes at Uber matter to drivers because new executives sometimes shift priorities around driver pay, deactivation policies, or how disputes are handled. When Khosrowshahi took over, for example, he made public commitments to improve driver relations after years of tension under Kalanick's leadership.

Key Takeaways

  • Dara Khosrowshahi has been Uber's CEO since 2017 and replaced founder Travis Kalanick after workplace culture problems.
  • Uber's structure includes regional leaders who make decisions affecting driver policies in your specific market.
  • CEO changes can shift how Uber treats driver pay, deactivation, and dispute resolution, though the app's core mechanics usually stay the same.
  • Driver concerns are typically handled by local support teams, not by the CEO's office, so knowing your regional contact is more useful than tracking executive changes.
  • Uber's Board of Directors approves major policy shifts, so leadership decisions often reflect what investors want as much as what the CEO wants.

How Uber's leadership structure affects driver policies

Uber operates as a centralized company with decisions made at headquarters, but regional teams implement those decisions differently depending on local laws and market conditions. A policy change announced by Khosrowshahi might take months to roll out to your city, or might not apply to your market at all if local regulations prevent it.

Driver pay, deactivation rules, and dispute processes are set at the corporate level but enforced by local support teams. If you have a problem with your account, you will contact Uber's driver support in your region, not the CEO's office. That said, major shifts in how Uber treats drivers — like changes to how much you earn per ride or how quickly you can be deactivated — usually come from the top leadership and filter down through the organization.

What changed when Khosrowshahi became CEO

When Dara Khosrowshahi took over in 2017, Uber was facing driver lawsuits, regulatory pressure, and a reputation for aggressive labor practices. Kalanick had resisted classifying drivers as employees and had fought hard against driver organizing. Khosrowshahi's public stance was different: he said he wanted to improve driver relations and work with regulators rather than against them.

In practice, some things changed and some did not. Uber introduced a driver deactivation appeals process, which gave drivers a chance to respond before losing access to the app. The company also began publishing data about driver earnings and safety. However, Uber continued to resist driver classification as employees, and driver pay remained a source of conflict. The company's fundamental model — treating drivers as independent contractors — stayed the same under Khosrowshahi's leadership.

How investor pressure shapes leadership decisions

Uber's Board of Directors includes major investors like SoftBank, Benchmark, and others who own large stakes in the company. These investors care primarily about profit and growth, which sometimes conflicts with driver interests. When the Board approves a new policy, it reflects what investors believe will make money, not necessarily what drivers want.

This matters because even if a CEO wanted to raise driver pay significantly or offer benefits like health insurance, the Board might block it if they believed it would hurt the stock price. Khosrowshahi has to balance what he thinks is right against what the Board will allow. Driver advocacy groups have sometimes pressured the Board directly, knowing that the CEO alone cannot make certain changes.

Why CEO changes matter less to drivers than you might think

A new CEO can shift Uber's tone and priorities, but the app itself and how you use it usually stay the same. Your pay structure, the way you accept rides, how you contact support, and the ratings system all remain largely unchanged when leadership changes. What does change is how Uber talks about drivers publicly and how quickly the company responds to driver complaints.

More important to your day-to-day experience are changes to the algorithm that assigns rides, the commission Uber takes, and local regulations in your city. These can change without a CEO transition, and a new CEO cannot override local laws even if they wanted to. If you are concerned about how Uber treats drivers, tracking what the company actually does — pay rates, deactivation policies, support response times — matters more than following who is in charge.

How to find out about policy changes that affect you

Uber announces major policy changes through the Driver app itself, usually with an in-app notification. You can also check the Uber Newsroom on the company's website, which publishes official statements about changes to driver policies. However, not every change is announced publicly, and some roll out slowly to different cities.

The most reliable way to stay informed is to check your Driver app regularly for notifications and to follow driver advocacy groups or forums in your city, where other drivers often share information about changes before they are widely known. If you have questions about a specific policy, your local driver support team can explain how it works in your market.

The difference between CEO decisions and regulatory requirements

Some changes that affect how Uber operates come from the CEO and leadership team, but many come from government regulators, courts, or local laws. For example, if your city passes a law requiring Uber to provide certain benefits or set a minimum pay rate, Uber has to follow it regardless of what the CEO wants. Drivers sometimes credit or blame the CEO for changes that actually came from regulation.

When you see a change to how Uber works in your city, it is worth asking whether it came from the company's choice or from a legal requirement. A change that came from regulation is unlikely to be reversed if leadership changes, because the law still applies. A change that came from the CEO's priorities might shift if a new CEO takes over with different values.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I contact the CEO if I have a problem with my account?

No. The CEO's office does not handle individual driver complaints. You must contact Uber's driver support team through the app or the support website. If you believe your case involves a policy violation or unfair treatment, you can escalate within the support system, but you will not reach the CEO.

Does the CEO decide how much I get paid per ride?

The CEO and leadership team set the overall pay structure and commission rates, but the specific amount you earn per ride is calculated by Uber's algorithm based on distance, time, and demand. Local regulations in some cities also set minimum pay requirements that override what Uber would otherwise pay.

What happens to driver policies if Uber gets a new CEO?

Major policies usually stay in place because they are built into the app and the business model. However, a new CEO might change how quickly Uber responds to driver concerns, how the company talks about driver issues publicly, or how willing Uber is to negotiate with driver advocates. Day-to-day changes to how you use the app are less likely.

Is Dara Khosrowshahi still the CEO?

As of the time this article was written, yes. However, CEO changes can happen, and you can check Uber's official website or recent news to confirm who currently leads the company if you want the most up-to-date information.

Why does Uber resist making drivers employees if the CEO says he wants to improve driver relations?

The CEO's public statements about improving relations and the company's legal position on employment classification are two different things. Classifying drivers as employees would change Uber's entire business model and cost structure. The Board of Directors and investors have decided this is not acceptable, so even a CEO who sympathizes with drivers cannot make that change alone.