Uber Names Expedia Chief to Be Its CEO

Uber Technologies Inc. has offered its top job to Dara Khosrowshahi, currently CEO of Expedia Inc., best-known for its online travel booking service.

The main goals for Khosrowshahi (cause-row-SHAH-hee) as the ride-hailing service’s CEO will be to overhaul the dysfunctional corporate culture left behind in June by ousted CEO/founder Travis Kalanick, and to turn the multi-billion-dollar company into a profitable enterprise.

The Iranian-born Khosrowshahi, 48, grew up in New York state and earned a degree in electrical engineering from Brown University. He later joined USA Networks, which acquired a major stake Expedia from Microsoft Corp. 16 years ago.

In 2005 he became head of Expedia when it was spun off. The company’s annual revenue has since quadrupled to $8.7 billion. Growth has come in large part through acquisitions led by Khosrowshahi over the past two years that include HomeAway, Orbitz, Travelocity and Trivago.