Emil Michael — Chief Business Officer of Uber, the ubiquitous ride-hailing app — stepped down from his role on Monday amid an investigation into widespread sexual harassment at the company.
An Uber spokesperson told TheWrap Michael is no longer with the company, but declined to comment further.
The investigation — spearheaded by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder — did not name Michael in its claims, but still pointed to his removal. He shared the decision internally via email on Monday morning, according to an Axios report, and added David Richter, Uber’s Senior Vice President of strategic initiatives, will be promoted to SVP of business.
Michael’s decision comes at a chaotic time for the San Francisco-based company: Uber executives are weighing a potential leave of absence for CEO Travis Kalanick, after reports the company did little to thwart workplace sexual harassment and inappropriately handled the medical records of a rape victim.
Last week, Uber fired Eric Alexander, its former President of Business in Asia Pacific, after reports he had obtained the medical records of a female passenger who was raped in India in 2014. Alexander showed the records to Kalanick, but Michael did not see the file, according to the Axios report.
A few years ago, Michael had suggested Uber hire its own internal reporters to “dig up dirt” on writers critical of the platform.
In his farewell email, Michael said, “Uber has a long way to go to achieve all that it can and I am looking forward to seeing what you accomplish in the years ahead.”