By Keerthi Ramesh
Uber has appointed Balaji Krishnamurthy, a long-time internal advocate for self-driving technology as its next chief financial officer, signalling a major strategic shift toward a driverless future and expanding autonomous vehicle partnerships globally.
Krishnamurthy, currently vice president of strategic finance and investor relations, will take over the finance reins on Feb. 16, Uber Technologies Inc. announced Wednesday.
He succeeds Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, who is stepping down after a 27-month tenure to pursue a new opportunity. The leadership change, revealed alongside Uber’s fourth-quarter earnings, underscores a strategic pivot. While the company once sought to build its own autonomous hardware, it is now positioning itself as the premier global platform for other companies’ robotaxis.
Krishnamurthy, 41, has been a central figure in this “asset-light” strategy, even serving on the board of Waabi, an autonomous trucking startup in which Uber recently increased its stake.
Read: Waabi raises $1 billion, partners with Uber to deploy self-driving cars (January 28, 2026)
“Balaji knows Uber’s business inside and out and is a brilliant, decisive strategist,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated. “I am thrilled for him to step up as CFO as we kick off another big year.”
The “big year” ahead involves an aggressive roadmap. Uber plans to facilitate autonomous trips in up to 15 cities globally by the end of 2026. This expansion leans heavily on a web of partnerships, including a major deal with Alphabet’s Waymo to bring robotaxis to Austin and Atlanta, and a collaboration with Lucid and Nuro to deploy custom-built autonomous electric vehicles.
During a call with investors, Krishnamurthy emphasized that Uber’s healthy cash flow driven by a 20% year-over-year revenue jump to $14.37 billion will be used to “invest with discipline” in the autonomous sector.
“We are entering 2026 with strong momentum,” Krishnamurthy said. “We will invest across a multitude of opportunities, including positioning Uber to win in an AV future.”
Read: Self-driving startup Nuro secures $203 million from Nvidia and Uber (August 22, 2025)
However, the transition comes at a delicate time for the company’s stock. Shares fell roughly 6% following the announcement, as investors reacted to a first-quarter profit outlook that missed Wall Street estimates.
The conservative guidance is partly attributed to the capital-intensive nature of scaling autonomous infrastructure and the costs of integrating new AI-driven software.
Outgoing CFO Mahendra-Rajah leaves a legacy of financial stabilization, having helped Uber achieve investment-grade status and launching its first-ever share buyback program. He will remain as a senior advisor through July 1 to ensure a smooth transition.
As Uber transitions from a ride-hailing app to a high-tech logistics coordinator, Krishnamurthy’s appointment suggests the company is no longer just preparing for a driverless world it is betting its financial future on it.