Dara Khosrowshahi has announced his resignation from the board of Aurora Innovation, a leader in autonomous vehicle technology. He expressed the need to concentrate on his role as CEO of Uber and to lessen his external board obligations, as stated in a regulatory filing on Friday.
Khosrowshahi’s resignation took effect on Tuesday. Aurora confirmed that this decision was not due to any disagreements with the company.
The connection between the Uber CEO and Aurora Innovation dates back several years. In 2020, Uber sold its self-driving unit, Uber ATG, to Aurora. This transaction involved Uber transferring its equity in ATG and investing $400 million in Aurora, securing a 26% stake in the newly combined company. Khosrowshahi became a member of Aurora’s board as part of this agreement.
Uber has maintained its partnership with Aurora through Uber Freight, its freight brokerage platform that links shippers with carriers. In June, Uber and Aurora announced a long-term collaboration aimed at deploying trucks powered by Aurora’s technology within the Uber Freight network.
However, Uber’s association with Aurora is not exclusive. The company has also formed a partnership with Waabi, a self-driving truck startup established by Raquel Urtasun, who formerly served as chief scientist and head of R&D at Uber ATG.
In Khosrowshahi’s absence, Shailen Bhatt, senior vice president and chief operating officer at AtkinsRéalis, will join Aurora’s board. Bhatt has extensive experience with the Federal Highway Administration.
The timing of Khosrowshahi’s departure from the board follows the announcement a few weeks prior by Nolan Shenai, Aurora’s general counsel, who intends to step down effective January 6, 2025. Ossa Fisher, Aurora’s president, will assume Shenai’s duties while the company searches for his successor.
This article has been revised to include details about the new board member of Aurora and other recent executive changes.
