Uber has brought on Nikki Krishnamurthy, Expedia’s former chief people officer, as one of its own. Krishnamurthy is coming on board as chief people officer to replace Liane Hornsey, who resigned in July following a racial discrimination investigation.
According to Reuters, a group of Uber employees of color alleged Hornsey discriminated against Bernard Coleman, Uber’s global head of diversity and inclusion, and unfairly criticized and threatened Bozoma Saint John, who left the company in June. In an email to staff in July, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi did not cite specific reasons for Hornsey’s departure, but simply said she had led the team through a “period of enormous positive change.”
As CPO, Krishnamurthy will oversee the human resources department. That means Bo Young Lee, Uber’s chief diversity officer, will report to her.
“Nikki brings unparalleled experience in building a culture centered around transparency, respect and diversity,” Khosrowshahi said in a blog post. “She is a trusted partner who will help our management team as we evolve our culture, ensuring Uber continues to be a place where employees are supported and welcomed, and where they can grow and thrive.”
Krishnamurthy left Expedia back in June after working at the company for eight years. At the time, it wasn’t clear where she was headed, but GeekWire noted that Krishnamurthy had “liked” a LinkedIn post from Khosrowshahi that detailed Uber’s approach to cultural change. She joins former Expedia colleague Barney Harford, who joined Uber as its first chief operating officer last December.