Despite scandals, Uber investor says most users just ‘want to get from point A to point B’

Article here: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/21/uber-investor-says-most-users-dont-care-about-the-ceo-shakeup.html

Video starts here: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000629422

The vast majority of Uber customers don’t care about the sudden ouster of CEO Travis Kalanick, according to Uber investor Brian Neider.

Neider, partner at Lead Edge Capital, spoke in a CNBC interview Wednesday, the morning after a revolt by five major investors forced Kalanick to step down as head of the ride-hailing company.

“At the end of the day, most of the users on Uber, they want to get from point A to point B,” Neider said on “Squawk Box.” “My mother, who lives in Florida [and] who is 65, she doesn’t necessarily care who is the CEO of Uber.”
Neider said the board had an “obligation” to serve all stakeholders to make sure the company is being run properly. They ultimately made the decision that the best way to move forward is with new leadership, he said.

“I don’t know if there is any one correct answer, and time will tell,” he said. “In our opinion, it’s just a matter of the board serving the interest of all stakeholders, including shareholders.”

Neider did say his mother cares about the hostile workplace at Uber that led to Kalanick’s departure.

The 40-year-old co-founder’s departure came as the ride-services company faced increased scrutiny following an investigation into its culture and workplace practices, including allegations of sexual harassment in its offices.

In a statement, Kalanick said his resignation would help Uber go back to building “rather than be distracted with another fight.” Uber’s board said in a statement that Kalanick had “always put Uber first.”

Bill Gurley, a board member and early investor in Uber, tweeted Wednesday morning on the news.