Meet Uber’s New Head of Sustainability, Rebecca Tinucci
Rebecca says that she is driven by three key elements that have encouraged her decision to join Uber:
“1. Find the smartest, most driven people you can. Drew Baglino and the Tesla team were unrelenting in their pursuit of Tesla’s mission. It was incredible. I’m thrilled to have found it again – every person I’ve met at Uber is wicked smart and focused.
“2. Chase the big goals. I’ve always said “YES!” to taking on aggressive goals and the most challenging problems. Helping Uber achieve our Sustainability goals, is just that: an audacious, important challenge to attack.
“3. Make an impact. Autonomy, electric vehicles, and robotics will reshape our world in the next 20 years and usher in an unprecedented opportunity for a more sustainable future. Uber sits at the intersection of it all. How’s that for impact?”
Uber’s sustainability initiatives
Founded in 2009, Uber is now active in more than 70 countries and more than 10,000 cities.
Uber is one of the world’s largest open platforms for work – in 2023, Uber drivers completed 9.44 billion trips, and drivers and couriers generated nearly US$62bn in earnings, including tips.
The company has revolutionised city travel and convenience, and envisions a future that is more sustainable, equitable and profitable.
Uber says that it: “Is committing to becoming a fully electric, zero-emission platform by 2040, with 100% of rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or with micromobility.”
This electrification journey is where Rebecca comes in – her EV-centric employment history positions her perfectly to drive Uber to reduce emission.
“It is our responsibility as the largest mobility platform in the world to more aggressively tackle the challenge of climate change,” Uber continues.
“We will do this by offering riders more ways to ride green, helping drivers go electric, making transparency a priority and partnering with NGOs and the private sector to help expedite a clean and just energy transition.”
In 2023, 9% of trip miles were completed in Europe and 8.2% in Canada and the US were in zero emission vehicles. As part of its ESG strategy, it focuses on the wellbeing of its drivers and couriers, prioritising flexibility for the nearly seven million people using Uber’s platform to earn.
“Aligning our ESG priorities with the interests of our business and stakeholders coupled with the appropriate governance, engagement, and thoughtfulness is fundamental to our ESG approach,” says Alvin Huntspon, Head of ESG Strategy & Engagement.
Why did Rebecca leave Tesla?
A brand that is near synonymous with electric vehicles, Tesla often seems to be in the news. Sometimes it is thanks to founder Elon Musk, one of the richest people on the planet. Sometimes it is due to company announcements in innovative developments in electrification. More recently, however, it is due to mass job cuts.
The EV giant has made significant layoffs in 2024 – including the entirety of the charging team.
Rebecca was responsible for overseeing Tesla's global, charging-related business units including Supercharging, Destination Charging and charging equipment sales, and managing more than 500 Tesla employees. Alongside multiple product launches and financial successes, one of Rebecca’s overarching successes was the expansion of Tesla chargers to cover non-Telsa vehicles which positively impacted EV driver experience and uptake.
Rebecca said in a Linkedin post upon leaving Telsa: “I’m incredibly proud to have spent the last six+ years working at Tesla. Over this time, I had countless opportunities to ask team members 'why do you work here?' The answer I always received, with shocking consistency and almost as a chorus of dogged voices, was ‘the mission.’
“You work at Tesla because you hope to have at least a small impact on our collective future - aspirationally, to leave the world better for our children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren - by accelerating the transition to sustainable energy. And that mission is too important to allow any distractions.
“So, to my Tesla family who remains: Ignore the distractions, put your heads down and do the difficult job of getting back to work. You have my unwavering support and I will proudly watch you carry the torch forward!
“To the Charging team: Do not let anyone take away the pride you had just days ago for what we built together. We achieved every result that was asked of us, even the seemingly impossible ones, and with that changed the future of the industry.
“As for me, I’m looking forward to spending some much overdue time with my young children, endlessly supportive husband Alex Tinucci, and other friends and family. And then, since everyone knows I can’t sit still, finding a new adventure where I can again dedicate myself to leaving our world better for future generations.”
That adventure? Uber.
The comments of the post are full of incredible support for Rebecca, many coming from ex-colleagues. Her attitude seems incredibly positive – infectiously so.
Things are looking incredibly positive for her impact at Uber.
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