This year hasn’t been easy for Uber, but the past week has been particularly rough for the ride-sharing company. As findings from an internal investigation into sexual harassment rolled in, Uber fired 20 employees, CEO Travis Kalanick took a leave of absence, and senior vice president and Kalanick ally Emil Michael left the company. Now, an Uber board member has resigned over sexist remarks made at a Tuesday meeting about recommended changes to the company’s culture.
David Bonderman, who is also a partner at private equity firm TPG, tendered his resignation after shocked Uber employees complained about his comments during the meeting, reports The New York Times.
During the meeting, Arianna Huffington, who also sits on Uber’s board, talked about how one woman joining a company’s board often leads to other women joining, according to the report.
“Actually, what it shows is that it’s much more likely to be more talking,” Bonderman responded.
Attendees were reportedly “aghast” after Bonderman’s comment, which was viewed as particularly inappropriate at a time when Uber is under fire for employee misconduct and a corporate culture that discriminates against women. Employees sent numerous emails to their managers and Liane Hornsey, Uber’s head of human resources, expressing outrage, according to The New York Times, which cites anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
“I need to hold myself to the same standards that we’re asking Uber to adopt,” Bonderman said in a statement confirming his resignation from the board. The need to prove that he wanted to adhere to those standards was why he made the decision to resign so quickly, people close to him told the Times.
While the investigation has already shaken things up at Uber, more changes may be on the way. A report compiled by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and his law firm, Covington & Burling, recommends limiting CEO Kalanick’s influence, and giving the board more independence. The Uber board voted unanimously to implement all recommendations from the report…but that could be a very complicated process.