May 14--David Plouffe is moving into a new role at Uber. The former Obama campaign whiz, brought into the quasi-taxi company last fall, is giving up his job as senior vice president of policy and communications.
Taking his place: Rachel Whetstone, Google's top communications and public policy executive. Plouffe will join Uber's board of directors and continue to advise the company and its controversial chief executive, Travis Kalanick.
The move comes as Uber has expanded into 250 cities around the world, running into controversy along the way, as it clashes with regulators and local taxi businesses.
Whetstone, a former British political advisor, joined Google in 2005 and will bring a wealth of international experience to complement Uber's ambitions.
Uber reportedly values itself at $50 billion as it heads toward a possible initial public offering.
UPDATES
12:12 p.m.: This post has been updated to show David Plouffe will advise the company as a whole, not just the chief executive.
