Uber tech chief Thuan Pham steps down, may have staff cuts

Uber Technologies Inc's Chief Technology Officer Thuan Pham has resigned, effective May 16, the ride-hailing company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday.

Pham, who joined Uber in 2013, is among the senior-most executives at the company. Pham's departure is coming at a crucial time for Uber as stay-at-home orders around the world severely curtail demand for its services.

Uber is also discussing plans to cut around 20% of its staff because of the coronavirus pandemic, The Information reported on Tuesday.

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The layoffs could result in more than 5,400 of Uber's 27,000 employees losing their jobs, according to the report.

The staff reductions have not been finalized, but could be announced in stages in the coming weeks, the report said.

Pham is leaving as the 3,800-person Uber engineering group could be slashed by nearly 800 people in the coming weeks under the proposed job cuts, The Information reported.

"The company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever," a spokesperson for the company said.