Tech: Uber's first employee and a close confidant of ex CEO Travis Kalanick is stepping down

Uber's Ryan Graves, a Travis Kalanick confidante, is stepping down from his day-to-day role and focusing on his role on the board of directors.

Ryan Graves, Uber's first employee and a confidant of former CEO Travis Kalanick, is stepping aside from his operational role at the $69 billion ride-sharing company, reports CNBC. Graves will remain on Uber's board of directors.

Gizmodo's Kate Conger obtained a copy of the company-wide memo apparently sent by Graves to announce his new role, which you can read below.

In this memo, Graves explains that he's stepping down in mid-September so his departure "doesn't take away from the onboarding process of our new CEO, whoever they might be." He writes that he'll remain involved with the hunt for Uber's new CEO, following the resignation of Kalanick earlier this year in the wake of several scandals.

Graves is a well-liked figure within Uber and has been central to the ride-hailing company's rapid transformation into a $69 billion powerhouse over the past seven years. After serving a brief stint as Uber's first CEO from 2010 to 2011, Graves handed the reins to Kalanick and eventually assumed the role of Uber's president and VP of operations.

Aside from his job responsibilities, Graves served as an important counter-balance to the aggressive, win-at-all-costs mentality personified by Kalanick. People who know and have worked with Graves recently told Business Insider that his attitude and outlook improved Uber's culture since he was "Mr. Nice Guy."

In his memo, Graves says that he learned one lesson from the tumutlous last several months at the scandal-rocked Uber: "We should have taken more time to reflect on our mistakes and make changes together."

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Uber's Ryan Graves, a Travis Kalanick confidante, is stepping down from his day-to-day role and focusing on his role on the board of directors. Read Full Story