Uber Suffers From Another Setback As Ex-Target Exec Quits After Months On The Job

Uber Technologies, the popular ride-hailing app, confirmed over the weekend that its president, Jeff Jones, will leave the company just months after starting.

Jones left his position as Target Corporation TGT's chief marketing officer in August 2016. His appointment at Uber was a sign that the young company is mature enough to poach executives from more established firms. But Target's reputation likely took a major hit after Jones' resignation and may signal that the company's internal issues, such as allegations of a culture of sexual harassment, are worse than many think.

Conflicting Statements?

According to a Bloomberg report, Uber's CEO Travis Kalanick was looking to hire a chief operating officer, and the appointment would imply Jones would lose his ranking as the company's second highest ranking executive.

Kalanick even told employees in an e-mail over the weekend that Jones "came to the tough decision that he doesn't see his future at Uber."

But Jones said in a statement to Recode on his decision to leave Uber: The "beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ride sharing business."

Recode, citing sources close to the matter, added that Jones did indeed realize that Uber's woes were more problematic than he realized.

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What Can Uber Learn From Other Companies That Met Controversy Ahead Of An IPO? _______ Image Credit: By Diablanco - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons