New York Times: Shifting Uber’s Narrative from Crisis to Safety

Jill Hazelbaker, a top executive, helped the ride-hailing company weather sexual assault accusations with a change in practices and fresh messaging.

Jill Hazelbaker, 40, a former political spokeswoman, is the senior vice president of marketing and public affairs for Uber.

You joined Uber in 2015 when it was under scrutiny for a workplace culture where sexual harassment against women and discrimination were said to be common. Did that factor into the release of Uber’s first Safety Report in 2019 addressing incidents of sexual assaults and other safety issues on rides?

There is no question that things happened in the company that were not OK. We needed to get our house in order internally and then fix it externally. I took it as an opportunity to try to make a profound impact.

Can you explain the report’s methodology?

We examined data from 2017 and 2018, when an average of 3.1 million trips took place daily in the U.S. We looked at serious safety incidents reported on the platform from riders and drivers, including significant crashes, sexual assaults and physical assaults. And we also collaborated with outside experts and third-party organizations.

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