Uber’s PR Chief Quits

Rachel Whetstone, who left Google Inc. to head policy and communications for Uber Technologies Inc. two years ago, has left the San Francisco-based ride-share company.

Whetstone resigned on cordial terms, but neither she nor Uber said why she left. Her replacement is her former deputy, Jill Hazelbaker, according to the company.

Uber has been buffeted in recent months by a variety of controversies. They include claims of sexual harassment, a lawsuit alleging that Uber stole autonomous driving system secrets from Google spinoff Waymo and a video of CEO Travis Kalanick arguing with an Uber driver about the company’s payment scheme.

Other key executives who left Uber so far this year are the company’s president (Jeff Jones), head of product and growth (Ed Baker) and head of engineering (Amit Singhal).