More Uber executives leave as turmoil and transition continue at ridesharing firm

Jeff Jones, Uber's president, is stepping down after just six months. Sources told Recode that he concluded the situation at Uber is worse than he was led to believe when he was lured from Target, where he was chief marketing officer, in 2016. Uber is being investigated for sexual harassment allegations. In a statement to Recode, Jones said, "the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber."

Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick confirmed plans earlier this month to hire a chief operating officer, who would have potentially outranked Jones, in a move to add more experience to the 8-year-old company's leadership team.

The co-founder of Uber, Kalanick has overseen its explosive growth, though its reputation has taken a beating recently. In addition to the sexual harassment issues, Uber has faced controversy for its relationship with its drivers, a lack of women in its engineering ranks, and Kalanick's own conduct, which was captured on video in a testy interaction with an Uber driver.

A #DeleteUber movement began in January after allegations the company to tried to profit from President Donald Trump's first travel ban in January by holding back surge pricing to lure customers heading to protests. Uber also said it would not pick up riders from New York's JFK Airport, where a large protest was taking place. Uber has said the moves were misinterpreted. Kalanick also stepped down from Trump's CEO advisory board after pressure from employees.

Meanwhile, Brian McClendon, who is in charge of Uber's maps and business platform, is also leaving the firm, and the New York Times reports it is an amicable departure. McClendon, who references the move on Twitter, is moving to his native Kansas to consider political ambitions.