Uber board trims power of former chief Travis Kalanick

Travis Kalanick – Uber | In 2017, numerous sexual harassment accusations began pouring out of Uber Technologies Inc. which raised pressure on the Board of Directors and shareholders. Kalanick found himself in the eye of the storm as allegations began to surface that he knew about the sexual harassment and misconduct but failed to do anything about it. Kalanick was forced to step down as CEO in the company he founded in 2009 but retained his seat on the company’s board. (Image: Reuters)

Uber's board of directors today approved a plan that reins in the influence of ousted chief executive Travis Kalanick and opens the door to a colossal investment by Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank.

The proposal adopted by Uber's board also promised to put an end to in-fighting between Kalanick supporters and investors who suspected the co-founder was plotting a wily return to the head of the company.

"Today, after welcoming its new directors Ursula Burns and John Thain, the board voted unanimously to move forward with the proposed investment by SoftBank and with governance changes that would strengthen its independence and ensure equality among all shareholders," Uber said in an emailed statement.

"SoftBank's interest is an incredible vote of confidence in Uber's business and long-term potential, and we look forward to finalizing the investment in the coming weeks."

If the investment goes ahead as proposed, Softbank would directly pump between USD 1 billion and USD 1.25 billion into Uber at the San Francisco-based startup's current valuation of USD 69 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter.

As a secondary investment move, the Japanese group would put out an open offer to buy 14 per cent to 17 per cent of outstanding shares from large investors at a discounted price, the source said.

Major investors who are unhappy with the leading smartphone-summoned ride share startup, or who want to cash-in on early investments that have multiplied in value, could take SoftBank up on the offer.

Governance changes approved by the board hinge on the SoftBank investment taking place.

Changes included eliminating "super-voting" power of some shares, such as those owned by Kalanick, to shift to a one vote per share model that would curtail the co-founders clout, according to the source.

The board also endorsed Uber going public with a stock market debut by the year 2019.

The board itself would expand from 11 seats to 17 seats, with two of the additions going to SoftBank and the other four being independent. One of the four independent seats would chair the board.

Rule changes for the board would include requiring two- thirds or more of the board to approve any new chief executive hired before the stock market debut, signalling that newly- appointed boss Dara Khosrowshahi would be safely ensconced at the startup.

If all of those piece fall into place, a lawsuit filed by early Uber investor Benchmark Capital will be dropped, ending a distracting power struggle at the company, the source told AFP.