Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi Resigns From Self-Driving Truck Startup Aurora’s Board

January 23, 2025February 6, 2025 moneymetrics.org_admin Technology

Aurora Innovation CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Resigns from Board

Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of ride-hailing giant Uber, has resigned from the board of autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora Innovation. The news was revealed in a regulatory filing on Friday, citing Khosrowshahi’s desire to focus on his ongoing responsibilities as CEO of Uber and reduce external board commitments.

Effective Date

Khosrowshahi’s resignation was effective as of Tuesday, according to the filing. In a statement, Aurora said that Khosrowshahi’s decision to leave the board was not the result of any disagreement with the company.

Aurora-Uber Relationship

The Uber chief executive and Aurora Innovation have a long history together. In 2020, Uber offloaded its own self-driving unit, Uber ATG, to Aurora. The deal at the time involved Uber handing over its equity in ATG and investing $400 million into Aurora, giving it a 26% stake in the combined company.

As part of the deal, Khosrowshahi joined Aurora’s board. Through Uber Freight, Uber’s freight brokerage platform that connects shippers and carriers, the ride-hail and delivery giant maintained its connection with Aurora. In June, Uber and Aurora announced a multi-year collaboration to put trucks powered by Aurora’s technology on the Uber Freight network.

Non-Exclusive Relationship

Uber’s relationship with Aurora is not exclusive, however. The company also has a deal with Waabi, the self-driving truck startup founded by Raquel Urtasun, who had previously served as chief scientist and head of R&D at Uber ATG.

New Board Member

Shailen Bhatt, senior vice president and chief operating officer for AtkinsRéalis, will join Aurora’s board in Khosrowshahi’s place. Bhatt has a background working for the Federal Highway Administration.

Recent Executive Departure

Khosrowshahi’s decision to leave the board comes a couple of weeks after Nolan Shenai, Aurora’s general counsel, shared his intention to step down effective January 6, 2025. Ossa Fisher, Aurora’s president, will take over Shenai’s responsibilities while the company considers his replacement.

Update

This article was updated to include information about Aurora’s new board member and another recent executive departure.

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