Uber Dealmaker Chief Resigns Following Sexual Misconduct Reports

The CEO of Uber Dara Khosrowshahi has worked to clean the corporate culture of the ride-hailing company. A top executive recently resigned from Uber amidst allegations that included sexual harassment.

Cameron Poetzscher, who was the company chief of corporate development, resigned on Monday with immediate effect according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

It came to light in September that Poetzscher had made sexually suggestive comments to several female colleagues at Uber.

The head of corporate development reported directly to CEO Khosrowshahi until just recently and played an important role in some of the biggest deals made by the company such as selling its business in Southeast Asia to its rival Grab, a local ride-hailing business, and the investment of billions of dollars from SoftBank the internet giant based in Japan.

A spokesperson for Uber said in a statement released through email that Uber thanked Cameron for his service at the company for the last four and a half years.

The resignation of Poetzscher comes as the ride-hailing firm works to clean up the corporate culture of the company. Uber became entangled in several scandals during 2017, including toxic workplace allegations that alleged sexual harassment was allowed.

Much of it came to a head when co-founder and former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick was forced out during June of 2017. The following month Khosrowshahi took over the CEO position and has held it since.

As well as the alleged suggestive comments made by Poetzscher, he is alleged to have had a consensual affair with an Uber colleague that was a violation of company policy because he was part of the annual review of the colleague.

In November of 2017 Poetzscher received a formal warning and was required to take part in sensitivity coaching.

Uber CFO Nelson Chai is to assume the duties of Poetzscher while Uber searches for his replacement, according to a spokesperson with Uber.