Uber's High-Powered Global Policy Board Born Amid Legal Battles, Regulation Struggles
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- An eight-person global policy board has been assembled by Uber Technologies to increase their chances of winning over governments around the world amid ongoing legal battles and struggles with local regulators.
Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Peru, Australia, Brazil, India, the European Union and the United States, Uber's global policy board was created to give the company further insight, advice and feedback. It will likely allow the company more collaboration with local governments.
Uber's chief advisor and member of the board of directors, David Plouffe, states that a few years ago California was one of the few jurisdictions in the world to have a regulatory framework for ridesharing, but today more and more jurisdictions around the globe are following suit, including those in Australia, Canada, India, the Philippines and Mexico.
The San Francisco-based ride-hailing company, recently valued between $50 billion and $70 billion, previously assembled a U.S. safety advisory board, also comprised of high-profile members. And in April, Uber announced that Arianna Huffington would be joining Uber's board of directors.
Plouffe said the company is employing people around the world who might otherwise be unemployed. Plouffe said that in France, 20 percent of drivers using Uber were unemployed beforehand. In Egypt, that number is at 40 percent, while in Mexico City, it's at 50 percent.
The members of Uber's new global policy board consist of experts in policy, economics and entrepreneurship. They come from a broad array of backgrounds.
Plouffe announced Wednesday the members of the new board. The backgrounds of the members could indicate where Uber feels it needs the most insight and guidance moving forward. Uber released information about each of the board members backgrounds and area of expertise.
Two of the members, Ray LaHood and Melody Barnes, spent time working for the U.S. government.
Hood formerly served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Prior to serving as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013, LaHood was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Illinois' 18th congressional district.
Barnes was formerly the director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, where she provided domestic policy advice to Obama. She is the co-founder and principal of MBSquared Solutions and is also the Vice Provost of Global Student Leadership Initiatives at New York University.
South America is also heartily represented on the new board, with Roberto Daniño. and Dr. Gesner Oliveira.
Danino, a former Prime Minister of Peru, also served as Ambassador to the United States, and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of The World Bank. He serves as vice chairman of the Hochschild Group, a conglomerate that specializes in gold, silver, and phosphates mining, and cement production.
Oliveira, the former president of the Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense, who received his PhD in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, formerly served as deputy secretary for Economic Policy as well as secretary for Economic Surveillance of the Brazilian Ministry of Finance.
European nations are also represented on Uber's new board.
Neelie Kroes, Netherlands' Special Envoy for Startups and the former Vice President of the European Commission, in charge of the Digital Agenda for Europe, sits on the new board. She formerly served as Minister for Transport, Public Works and Telecommunication in the Netherlands.
Dr. Allan Fels, a professor at Melbourne, Monash and Oxford Universities is also a member on the board. He was formerly the chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, a consumer protection body. He continues to advise regulators in Asian and African countries.
India is also represented with Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of the Quality Council of India and former chairman of McKinsey India. He remains involved in many Government of India Committees, according to Uber.
And from Saudi Arabia, is Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud. She is the founder and CEO of Alf Khair, a social enterprise devoted to supporting women in Saudi Arabia. She was formerly CEO of Alfa International, which operates Riyahd's Harvey Nichols store. She is the founder and creative director of luxury handbag brand, Baraboux.
The Saudi princess also led the first all-female Saudi team to Everest Base Camp in 2012.
Her presence on the board could indicate Uber's interest in expanding further into Middle Eastern markets.
Plouffe said the new global policy board convened for the first time earlier this week.
By Hannah Albarazi - Follow her on Twitter: @hannahalbarazi.
