NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
San Francisco, CA, June 8, 2025: Nikesh Arora, Chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks, has been appointed to the board of directors at Uber Technologies Inc., the ride-hailing company announced in a regulatory filing on May 31. His appointment comes during a broader executive reshuffle aimed at strengthening Uber’s leadership as it pivots toward autonomous mobility.
Arora will serve on the board’s Nominating and Governance Committee and Compensation Committee. As a non-employee director, he will receive an annual cash retainer of $60,000 and a grant of restricted stock units valued at $300,000, pro-rated for his first year, in addition to compensation for committee service.
The move follows the recent exit of Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Uber’s longtime head of delivery, and the promotion of Andrew Macdonald to President and Chief Operating Officer—the first to hold the COO title since 2019. The changes signal a strategic focus on emerging mobility technologies, including autonomous vehicles and robotaxis.
“Uber plays a central role in commercializing autonomous mobility, and I am honored to join its board at such a pivotal time,” said Arora in a statement.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi welcomed Arora’s appointment, describing him as “one of the technology industry’s great executives,” citing his track record as a strategic operator and fierce competitor. Uber Board Chairman Ron Sugar also emphasized Arora’s experience in scaling global businesses and navigating innovation-focused markets.
Before joining Palo Alto Networks in 2018, Arora held senior leadership roles at Google and SoftBank. He has served on several corporate boards, including Colgate-Palmolive, Yahoo! Japan, and Sprint.
Uber’s leadership changes coincide with growing competition in the autonomous vehicle sector. Alphabet’s Waymo recently surpassed 10 million driverless rides, and Tesla is preparing to unveil its robotaxi fleet in Austin on June 12. Uber has already partnered with Waymo to offer driverless rides in Phoenix and is actively exploring further expansion in this space.
