Brief: Uber announces new chief business officer for APAC

Brooks Entwistle, Uber’s new chief business officer for Asia Pacific. Photo credit: Uber.

The news:

• Uber announced today that it has hired Brooks Entwistle as its new chief business officer for Asia-Pacific.
• Entwistle was previously chairman of Goldman Sachs Southeast Asia and held positions at the United Nations, McKinsey & Co, and the Asia Foundation, among other organizations. His latest role was CEO of India and Southeast Asia-focsued investment firm Everstone Group.
• As a key member of Uber’s regional leadership team, Entwistle will be responsible for business development, including autonomous vehicle alliances, in addition to corporate development and experiential marketing across Asia-Pacific.

Why it matters:

• David Richter, Uber’s global head of business and corporate development, said that Entwistle’s appointment will enforce Uber’s commitment to “writing a new chapter” in Asia-Pacific, one of the fastest growing markets for the ride-hailing giant.
• Uber has faced numerous problems in the region of late. This month, it halted services in the Philippines after a clash with regulators, while it also emerged that the company had rented defective cars to drivers in Singapore. As the company copes with controversies and competition at home and abroad, investors have reportedly called on Uber to cut deals with local competitors in Asia-Pacific.