Uber is having a press conference call on Tuesday to discuss efforts to 'improve company culture' and hire a COO

pulse

March 21, 2017 5:51 PM

Uber is about to give the first public update since it launched its investigation into its workplace and announced it was going to hire a COO.

travis kalanick arianna huffington

Uber, the world's most valuable tech startup, will hold a rare conference call with the press on Tuesday to provide an update on its efforts to fix an internal culture that has been rocked by high-profile allegations of sexual harassment and to report on its search for a Chief Operating Officer.

The ride-hailing company is in the process of recruiting a second-in-command who can work alongside Travis Kalanick, the CEO who has turned Uber into one of Silicon Valley's most successful companies but who has also become a magnet for criticism because of the win-at-all-costs culture he has fostered.

While the company says there are no big announcements on Tuesday's "interim strategy update," it will be the first look into Uber's actions since the company launched an investigation into its workplace and announced the decision to hire a No. 2 to aid its CEO, Travis Kalanick.

Uber, which is valued at $69 billion by private investors, will also provide an overview of its business performance so far in 2017, the company said in a note announcing Tuesday's call.

On the call will be Arianna Huffington, an Uber board member who is helping the search for a COO and leading the subcommittee on the sexual harassment scandal; Liane Hornsey, Uber's head of HR; and Rachel Holt, who oversees US and Canada operations at Uber.

Uber's prepared remarks won't have any major bombshells, like a new COO announcement or Kalanick stepping aside (as some have rumored). Instead, the company plans to provide a strategy update and a look at the company's business, including plans to improve relations with its drivers.

The company took a hit after more than 200,000 customers stopped using Uber as part of the #DeleteUber movement in January. The next month, it launched an internal investigation into its workplace after a former engineer wrote a blog post about the sexual harassment she faced at the company and then announced that it was looking to hire a COO.

Business Insider will be covering the Uber call on Tuesday afternoon, so check back for the latest.

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