Outspoken critic of Donald Trump: Khosrowshahi blasted Trump's travel ban, which includes Iran, as "inward-looking" and "reactionary."
The news of Dara Khosrowshahi being appointed as new CEO of Uber took many by surprise. It's not a secret that Khosrowshahi was never a front runner in the race of filling Travis Kalanick spot at the US headquartered cab hailing service.
Uber has effectively been without a head since Travis Kalanick resigned in June. Following his exit, the company has lost multiple executives this year and has numerous vacant positions in its executive team, including for chief financial and operating officers.
While many names propped up to fill the top position of CEO including Meg Whitman and Jeff Immelt, it was Dara Khosrowshahi where the search ended. Those who know him cannot deny the fact that in troubled times like these, Khosrowshahi is exactly what the company needs.
The 48-year-old Khosrowshahi is the former CEO of online travel booking company Expedia Inc. He is a friendly and steady hand and a savvy deal maker. Khosrowshahi has been a vocal defender of diversity and a critic of US President Donald Trump.
Former colleagues say Khosrowshahi has evolved from being a tough negotiator at investment bank Allen & Co into a deal-loving executive who can also make peace with government regulators and is willing to compromise where needed - both skills required by Uber.
"The kind of partnerships we need in Southeast Asia are going to be easier with someone like him at the helm," said Bradley Tusk, an Uber investor, and advisor. "He encompasses a lot of the balance that we need that we weren't getting with the other candidates."
Numbers speak:
Khosrowshahi has been CEO of online travel portal, Expedia for 12 years. Expedia is based in Bellevue, Washington. Under Khosrowshahi's leadership, Expedia has become the largest online travel agency by bookings, making a number of strategic acquisitions to build a travel empire and more than doubling its revenue in four years. He has satisfied Wall Street with a stock price that has grown more than six-fold during his 12-year tenure.
May enhance Uber's Asia performance:
With an impressive track record of many successful acquisitions and partnerships at Expedia, Uber can expect that those will potentially benefit the firm in Asia especially, where the company is locked in a fierce price war that shows no sign of ending.
"The kind of partnerships we need in Southeast Asia are going to be easier with someone like him at the helm," said Bradley Tusk, an Uber investor, and advisor. "He encompasses a lot of the balance that we need that we weren't getting with the other candidates."
Dealing with lawsuits:
His experience with class action lawsuits brought against Expedia gives him some expertise to deal with the litigation Uber faces, said industry analysts. Khosrowshahi has deep connections in the industry. His cousins Ali and Hadi Partovi are successful tech investors. Hadi Partovi told Reuters his cousin was "someone that people look to in times of tension as a guy who can bring people together," while his brother Ali said Khosrowshahi "can bring order to chaos."
Bright track record:
In 2015 he was the highest paid CEO in the US, mainly because of a nearly $91 million stock option grant. He is also on the board of the New York Times Company and sports merchandise company Fanatics Inc.
He is among the US State Department's "List of Prominent Iranian Americans. A clean image with relevant achievements will certainly act in favour of Uber.
Uber's image will get a boost:
People close to Khosrowshahi paint him as distinctly different from the famously brash Kalanick. Travis Kalanick unfamous temprament had done ore harm than good to Uber's image in the past. He is an immigrant who came to the United States in 1978 during the Iranian Revolution. Upon his family's arrival, Khosrowshahi faced discrimination as other young Iranians in the 1980s did.
His outsider status and the fact the he is not part of the circle of celebrity tech executives may help Uber in rebuilding its culture, which has been described as toxic and sexist due to various events happened in the past.
(With inputs from agencies)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Dara Khosrowshahi")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}