US: Amazon exec will replace Uber product head

Uber has named product head Daniel Graf’s replacement, and it’s Assaf Ronen, Amazon’s top voice shopping vice president. According to Thursday (Mar. 8) Recode reports, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi released a memo to staff confirming the personnel changes.

“I wanted to let you know about some changes in the Uber Product world,” wrote Khosrowshahi. “After nearly 2.5 years at Uber, Daniel has decided to leave. This was not an easy or quick decision. In true Swiss fashion, Daniel wanted to ensure that 2018 planning and perf[ormance] were done, the team was stable and [that] I had a plan for leadership of the team going forward.”

Graf joined Uber in late 2015 as head of marketplace dynamics, managing the algorithms that matched drivers with riders and set prices. He reported to then-vice president of product Ed Baker, whom Graf replaced in March 2017.

“I am so grateful to Daniel for all he has achieved,” Khosrowshahi added in the memo. “He is a brilliant product strategist, an enthusiastic evangelist for Uber’s products — while, at the same time, always taking a measure of our competition. He is never satisfied with ‘good enough,’ a fantastic team builder and is incredibly hard-working. Daniel has agreed to stay on as an advisor to the company and help get Assaf up to speed.”

Ronen has worked for both Microsoft and Amazon, serving as vice president of voice and natural user interface shopping.

The company’s latest announcement shows Khosrowshahi is merging his management team.While he hired a new chief operating officer and a top legal officer, other executives have departed the company, including culture head Frances Frei and head of driver product Aaron Schildkrout.

“As I’ve said, we’re going to lean in on product this year,” Khosrowshahi stated. “It’s the core of our service and will be key to our continued success in the future.”

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