Ex-GE Leader Jeff Immelt Favored As New Uber CEO

Uber's many, many problems are widely known at this point, but the biggest question the ride-sharing company faces right now is who will take the place of recently ousted Travis Kalanick as CEO. A new report indicates that Uber has narrowed things down to three candidates, with the board of directors viewing former General Electric chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt as the "frontrunner" of the group.

The other two candidates haven't been named, and there's no guarantee Immelt will get the position, but sources have told Recode that he's the favored choice for turning around Uber's toxic image and infamously bad internal culture. The report notes that the board is expected to make a final within the next two weeks.

It seems part of the reason Immelt is the frontrunner is for CEO is because he's "not someone anyone can push around easily, which is probably his best characteristic," said one source, regarding Uber's reputation for infighting among different factions. The board recognizes that he doesn't have the same entrepreneurial background as Kalanick, but he's said to have the skills to bring the company in-line and get it moving forward.

Of course, if Immelt does get the job, he'll be walking into a huge mess of problems. Along with lawsuits from mistreated drivers, there's Uber's ongoing legal issues with the Waymo lawsuit, and its rampant sexual harassment against women. Also complicating the situation is the fact that Kalanick still has a seat on the board, but is facing a fraud lawsuit from investor Benchmark Capital.

SOURCE Recode