[News Figures] Held an Anti-Racism Event... But Uber's Diversity Officer Took a Leave Instead

Korean-American Iboyoung Appointed as Uber's First CDO

Bo Young Lee, a Korean-American Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) at Uber, the world's largest ride-sharing company, recently faced controversy after hosting an event last month, leading to her sudden leave of absence. The event was originally intended as a platform to openly discuss racial discrimination issues, but it instead sparked backlash for allegedly exacerbating the issue during the proceedings.

Lee Bo-young, Uber Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDO) (Photo by Uber website)

On the 22nd (local time), according to The New York Times (NYT) and Bloomberg News, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Chief People Officer (CPO) Nikki Krishnamurthy sent an email to employees stating that they had recently asked the CDO to take a temporary leave before making further decisions.

They explained, "We heard that many employees were hurt and upset by an event," adding, "Although it was meant to be a conversation, it is clear that those who attended felt they did not hear what they wanted."

The controversy began at an event titled "Don't Call Me Karen," hosted by the CDO last month. The event was designed to share the experiences of white women working at Uber, with a particular focus on the racial discrimination associated with the term 'Karen.' 'Karen' refers to a white woman who excessively asserts her rights or behaves rudely toward others beyond reasonable limits; in Korea, it has been described as the 'American version of Mrs. Kim.'

The NYT noted that the invitation to the event stated, "We are diving into the experience space of white American women," and "We want to have an open and honest conversation about race."

However, problems arose during the event. Attendees felt as if they were being lectured about the difficulties white women face and why the term 'Karen' is problematic. They criticized the CDO on Slack and internal messaging platforms for seemingly dismissing the concerns of employees of color or minority groups, which foreign media cited in their reports.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

In Uber’s Slack group for Black and Hispanic employees, staff pointed out these issues, with one employee saying, "I felt like I was being scolded throughout the event." Another employee questioned the premise that the term 'Karen' should not be used.

As the controversy grew, the CDO recently held a session to explain the matter, but Bloomberg reported that it failed to provide employees with sufficient opportunity to voice their grievances, which only intensified internal backlash.

Uber confirmed that the CDO is currently on leave. The NYT reported that the CDO has not issued a statement regarding the incident.

The Korean-American CDO joined Uber in March 2018 as its first Chief Diversity Officer. This was at a time when Uber was undergoing a cultural overhaul following a major sexual harassment scandal, aiming to foster organizational integration. After graduating from the University of Michigan and New York University’s Business School, she worked at global accounting firm Ernst & Young, reinsurance brokerage and financial advisory firm AO&N, and from 2013 served as the Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the American insurance company Marsh.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.