Uber has named a new CFO—its third in three years
Good morning. is experiencing heightened turnover within its finance leadership.
The global ridesharing giant announced on Wednesday that CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, who joined the company in November 2023, will step down on February 16. He will be succeeded by Balaji Krishnamurthy, vice president of strategic finance. This transition marks Uber’s third CFO in just over three years.
Mahendra-Rajah will remain with Uber ( on the 500) as a senior finance advisor to CEO Dara Khosrowshahi through July 1. His departure will be categorized as a qualifying termination under Uber’s amended and Restated 2019 Executive Severance Plan, according to . Mahendra-Rajah succeeded Nelson Chai, who served as CFO from 2018 to 2023, guiding Uber through its IPO and early post-IPO years. Chai currently serves as CEO of DailyPay.
During Uber’s earnings call on Wednesday, Mahendra-Rajah offered context for his departure, explaining that over the holidays, he reflected on Uber’s progress—including driving strong growth at scale, securing investment-grade status, and returning significant cash to shareholders.
“At the same time, a new opportunity emerged, one where I could serve America and give back to the nation that has provided so much to my family and me,” he stated. “I look forward to sharing further details on this soon.”
On the call, Khosrowshahi praised Mahendra-Rajah as “a great partner to me and the management team,” highlighting his role in achieving investment-grade status, leading the company’s first share repurchase program, and navigating several acquisitions.
Khosrowshahi described Krishnamurthy as someone who “knows Uber’s business inside out and is a brilliant, decisive strategist,” noting he has worked closely with him and the management team for years. Krishnamurthy joined Uber in 2019, leading strategic finance since 2023 after heading investor relations from 2020 to 2023.
The for CFOs at 500 and S&P 500 companies averages around 4.7 years, down from 5.3 years in 2015 and 4.9 years in 2020, per executive search firm Crist Kolder Associates, which notes the CFO role faces growing demands.
Uber’s latest finance leadership change coincides with the company ramping up its autonomous vehicle and robotaxi initiatives. Krishnamurthy, who also sits on the board of Waabi, a Toronto-based AI firm developing self-driving software, will support Uber’s expansion in this area. Waabi recently raised $1 billion and partnered with Uber to deploy at least 25,000 robotaxis on its platform, .
Khosrowshahi stated that Uber enters 2026 with “a rapidly expanding topline, significant cash flow, and a clear path to becoming the largest facilitator of AV trips globally.”
Uber’s reported 200 million monthly users and a 20% year-over-year revenue increase to $14.4 billion, its largest consumer base to date. However, Q1 2026 guidance for gross bookings ($52–$53.5 billion) and adjusted EBITDA ($2.37–$2.47 billion) fell short of Wall Street expectations, pushing shares down approximately 5% to the mid-$70s.
Wedbush Securities maintained a Neutral rating and lowered its price target to $75, arguing that investors overestimate Uber’s long-term advantage as autonomous vehicles scale. The firm views Waymo and as leading in the U.S., putting an estimated 30% of Uber’s U.S. mobility bookings and 25% of profits—largely from top metro markets—at risk of disruption from AVs.
Sheryl Estrada