By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Uber has named Nelson Chai as its chief financial officer — a move that could steer the ride-hailing company toward going public.
The CFO role at Uber has been vacant since 2015, when Brent Callinicos left.
Chai’s hire comes just over a year after the turmoil that resulted in founder Travis Kalanick’s ouster as Uber’s chief executive officer. Since then, new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has brought in his own team.
“I’m incredibly excited to bring on someone as experienced and thoughtful as Nelson,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement. “He will be a great partner for me and the entire management team as we move towards becoming a public company.”
Chai spent almost two years as president and CEO at Chicago-based The Warranty Group, and prior to that spent more than five years at CIT Group. He also serves on the boards of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
“Uber is one of the world’s most iconic and exciting technology companies, and I’m honored to join as CFO,” Chai said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with Dara and team as we build on the company’s strong growth and forward momentum.”