After a life-changing 12-year ride at Uber, I recently left. I decided it was time for a new chapter. It’s hard to overstate how lucky and privileged I feel to have been part of this journey in building and scaling a once-in-a-generation company in Europe & globally. I want to start by saying thank you. First, thank you to those who hired and trusted me over those 12 years, and with whom it has been a huge privilege to work: Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Ryan Graves, Andrew Macdonald, Travis Kalanick, Dara Khosrowshahi. Thank you of course to all my teams in Europe and globally (see 1st replies to this post): you have consistently shown a level of competence and grit that very few people can match. Thank you also to my RGM colleagues in other regions and colleagues across functions. With all of you, Uber has felt like home ever since joining in 2014, and my time here has been very special. I am sure I will miss it immensely. Lastly, thank you to my wife Júlia Samsó Lucas without whom none of it would have been possible. I've often been asked over the past 12 years what kept me so motivated at Uber. It’s simple (yet so hard to achieve!): the quality of the people and being able to learn so much from them, the big impact Uber has in the real world, and the magnitude of the opportunities ahead. Yet a few things made me decide to leave: – First, I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built in Mobility in Europe, in Delivery in France and beyond, in Hailables (Taxi Auto Moto) globally, and in Electrification & Sustainability globally. What makes me most proud is enabling millions of customers to move easily in Europe and globally, and the positive impact on the lives of millions of drivers worldwide. – Second, I feel I’ve accomplished what I set out to do in 2014: personally, from building a small team and business in Paris to growing into a senior general management executive managing several multi-billion dollar businesses with double-digit EBITDAs in Europe and globally; for the company, growing from startup to scale up to a profitable listed global S&P100 megacap; for riders, drivers, and cities, having a positive impact on the lives of millions. – Third, after having dedicated so much time to building and scaling this very special company, I want to spend more time with my family, and to take care of myself as I am unfortunately suffering from a severe form of long covid; professionally, I would also like to do something different now - more on that soon! There are thousands of memories I'll take with me as I move on, but the one thing I’ll keep is the unique sense of ownership that is part of the DNA of this company and that has guided me through the ups & downs. Many of us have treated Uber like our own company all along, and I am convinced that has been a key factor in our success. I look forward to watching Uber’s next steps, especially leading in self-driving, electric cars, and quick commerce. All the best, and #UberOn! Thibaud
Congratulations on your ride, Thibaud! you’ve also helped make it life-changing for many of us along the way. Excited to see where you place your next big bet, wishing you all the best for what’s ahead!
After 12 years scaling for others, scaling for yourself is a whole different exercise. Can't wait to see what the next chapter looks like.
What an incredible ride. Thank you for everything you did Thibaud. I don’t know a person across Ops or CommOps who met you and wasn’t impressed and insired by you, myself included. There were countless challenges and high stakes and you still managed to be fully present and make us feel important whenever we would talk. Without a doubt, you are one of those rare leaders that I didn’t know existed before I met you and one that I aspire to be. Wishing you all the best in your next step!
You are a rare kind of leader Thibaud Simphal! I always be deeply grateful to you for recruiting me and for the trust you placed in me from day one. Working with you has been an incredible learning experience—your strategic vision and cross-functional leadership are second to none, but it is your empathy that truly sets you apart. Thank you for your tireless commitment to our ERGs (Women, Pride, Able...). You didn't just build a business; you built a culture where everyone feels they belong. Your legacy is still very present at Uber, and your impact is felt every day. You are missed 😢 , but I’m so happy for what’s ahead of you. Wishing you all the happiness in the world for your next adventure! 🚀
Omg! Such great memories!! We miss you :) you always showed us you can be a demanding leader with a really high bar (for both business and people) but at the same time be truly caring. You always took the time to meet with the team, listen to our concerns, opinions and needs - again both as people as well as business leaders. You inspired a lot of the current leaders at Uber in EU and we’ll keep your legacy shinning! Thank you for all you did for us and for Uber
Thibaud Simphal there are simply too many fond memories, thoughtfull discussions and shared experiences both in and out of work to list here so that I can only share my deepest respect and admiration for what has been achieved over the years. It may seem a given nowadays but those of us that were in the trenches know and appreciate both the difficulty and the pride of all the many challenges that were taken up. So kudos to you and teams, and I wish you and Júlia Samsó Lucas the very best in the new chapters that lie ahead! Take care and see you around ✊
Thibaud Simphal Congratulation for this amazing journey! Thank you for the opportunity you gave me, you are an inspiring leader. I hope that you will find your next Uber.Thanks for this really nice picture of the WSE offsite (I still have the T-Shirt).Thanks also to Júlia Samsó Lucas ;)
Thank you Thibaud for your very telling and Inspiring leadership, one that lasts. Mostly, for always recognising the talent around you, giving them opportunities to show up and create impact. We will surely be cheering for you right here on this platform.
Congrats on an incredible journey, Thibaud. I really appreciated working with you - your leadership and support made a real difference. Thanks for everything you’ve done for Uber and for the teams. Wishing you all the best for the next chapter
A HUGE thank you to all my teams in Europe and globally: Steve Salom, Laureline Serieys, Alexandre Molla, Alexandre Droulers, Charles Conques, Marie de Tinguy, Christoph Weigler, Martin Essl, Carles Lloret, Juan Galiardo Sosa, Rui Bento, Carlo Tursi, Lorenzo Pireddu, Giovanna D'Esposito, Manolis Manassakis, Neyran Arslantürk, Yoni Greifman, Davor Tremac and their fantastic teams for Mobility; Alex Czarnecki, Guido Gabrielli, Stéphane Ficaja and their also fantastic teams for Uber Eats; Quazi Zulquarnain and his amazing teams for Hailables; Christopher Hook, Fay AlQassar, Santosh Rao and many more for their pioneering work on Electrification & Sustainability; and Sihame Ganie, Magalie Blanchet, and Denise Stratmann my Executive Assistants without whom nothing would have been possible.