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Uber loses another executive as self-driving program lead quits

Uber loses another executive as self-driving program lead quits

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Max Jeffrey

As Uber continues to make the headlines for the wrong reasons, it also keeps on losing executives. The latest big name is to quit is Sherif Marakby — its vice president of global vehicle programs, and one of the orchestrators of its self-driving vehicle program.

Marakby was poached just last April from Ford, where he had spent the previous 25 years, rising to the rank of director of global electronics and engineering. In a statement issued at the time, Marakby said that he was focused on safety, explaining that auto accidents were the most common cause of death among young people.

He went on to oversee the creation and launch of Uber’s ongoing self-driving vehicle initiatives, but apparently decided to cut ties with the company before it reached the next phase of its plans. “Self-driving is one of the most interesting challenges I’ve worked on in my career, and I’m grateful to have contributed  to what will soon be a safer future for everyone,” he said in a new statement that confirmed his departure, but didn’t offer a reasoning.

Uber, too, didn’t offer an explanation for Marakby’s departure, but told TechCrunch that “Sherif’s deep experience and knowledge of the automotive industry have helped us tremendously in working to make self-driving cars a reality.” In leaving, he follows Uber’s vice president of product and growth, its head of communications, and head of AI labs — all of whom quit in the last few months alone.