Uber appoints new CFO as its AV plans accelerate

Uber is promoting Balaji Krishnamurthy, its VP of finance and corporate relations, to become its CFO, replacing its chief financial officer Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah.

Krishnamurthy has been at Uber for over six years, spending most of his time at the company in its Investors Division. He often writes about the company’s freelance work, and has a seat at the AV Waabi company – so the appointment could be a sign of the company’s plans to increase its revenue and services without a driver.

Indeed, at the company’s Q4 earnings call on Wednesday, Krishnamurthy he said the company would invest in its own AV software programs, work with AV manufacturers through financing or through offtake agreements, and “support our partners in the AV industry.”

“With so much free cash to grow, in the coming years we will have the opportunity to take strategic action on many opportunities, including positioning Uber to succeed in the future of AV,” Krishnamurthy wrote in a statement. words reporting the company’s Q4 results.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on the call that he believes autonomous vehicles will “unlock multi-billion dollar opportunities,” adding that autonomous driving “expands” the capabilities of the company’s platform.

“By the end of 2026, we hope to support AV travel in more than 15 cities around the world, with almost a split between the US and international cities.

Uber said revenue rose to $14.37 billion in the fourth quarter, up 20% from last year, driven by strong demand for its food delivery services.

Mahendra-Rajah is leaving Uber after three years at the company.