Former Uber chief names 2 directors, surprises board

San Francisco : Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick on Friday unilaterally appointed two new members to the board of directors in a surprise move that increased tension within the leadership of the popular ride service.

Kalanick, who was pressured to resign in June as head of Uber which dominates the market for smartphone on-demand car rides, retains sizeable voting rights in the privately-held company that he co-founded.

On Friday, he appointed former Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns and former CEO of CIT Group, Merrill Lynch, and the New York Stock Exchange John Thain to the board.

The appointments came ahead of a board vote next week on reducing Kalanick’s voting power, US media reported.

"Ursula and John are two highly-accomplished corporate leaders with extensive board experience," Kalanick said in a statement.

"I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent Board proposal to dramatically restructure the Board and significantly alter the company’s voting rights," he said.

"There is no doubt the board will be well-served by their valuable insights, counsel and independent perspective as Uber moves into the next phase of growth and prepares for a public offering."