Uber's Head of PR walked away from an Apple job offer

Posted:
in General Discussion
Jill Hazelbaker was offered -- and declined -- a job with Apple, choosing to help rideshare service Uber with its public image.

Image Credit: Uber
Image Credit: Uber


Hazelbaker is known for her no-nonsense, company-first attitude. Since 2015 has been making a name for herself as the face of Uber's PR department.

According to The Information, Apple had attempted to hire her, stating that Tim Cook was a fan, but the offer never materialized into a position at Apple.

She started in public relations in 2007 when she joined up with Jonh McCain's presidential campaign. During her time there, she was promoted to communications director.

After McCain's loss, she joined Michael Bloomberg's reelection campaign in New York, leading him to victory. Her time with Bloomberg was cut short, as in 2010, she began working with Google in the PR department.

In 2014, she moved from Google to Snapchat. A year later, Hazelbaker made a move to work with Uber.

Since 2015, Hazelbaker has been with the rideshare pioneer, working to extinguish PR fires as they popped up. She was responsible for handling the 2017 issues surrounding gender discrimination and toxic workplace culture.

When a video surfaced of then CEO Travis Kalanick yelling at an Uber driver while a passenger was in the car, Hazelbaker was tasked with cleaning up the damage. She handled the situation by leading the charge to have Kalanick step down as Uber's CEO, instead allowing the company to move on from the bad press surrounding him -- and ultimately, he did.

When speaking about it, she reiterates her duty to the company, not to any single person.

"I felt my job was to serve the company and its employees and its shareholders and not any one executive, and I think that was a really tough period for Uber, and I'm proud of how we have come out the other side," she said.

Since then, her primary role has been helping Uber fight against policies requiring the company to treat drivers as employees. Along with others at Lyft, GrubHub, DoorDash, and more, she worked tirelessly to pass the controversial Proposition 22 -- which exempts app-based transportation and delivery companies from providing employee benefits to drivers.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Have to give Americans their due. 

    You chaps really know how to take care of your teeth. 
    mike1razorpitOferJWSCdavenwatto_cobrabaconstangamarkappatchythepirate
  • Reply 2 of 19
    She’s awful! Uber is a toxic company and yet her job is to boost their reputation. Uber is like that friend that smiles at you but has a knife behind it’s back. 
    edited December 2020 lkruppOferbsnjonapplguywatto_cobrabaconstang
  • Reply 3 of 19
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,573member
    She’s awful! Uber is a toxic company and yet her job is to boost their reputation. Uber is like that friend that smiles at you but has a knife behind it’s back. 
    She's not really needed at Apple since Apple's reputation is already golden. You are right, Uber's reputation is similar to Facebook's so she is really needed there.
    watto_cobrapatchythepirate
  • Reply 4 of 19
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,096member
    Well... if one really needs to do a PR job, it will be at Uber.  That place is a toxic mess.  She would probably be bored at Apple, albeit be very well paid.
    Oferwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 19
    sbdudesbdude Posts: 261member
    She’s awful! Uber is a toxic company and yet her job is to boost their reputation. Uber is like that friend that smiles at you but has a knife behind it’s back. 
    She's not really needed at Apple since Apple's reputation is already golden. You are right, Uber's reputation is similar to Facebook's so she is really needed there.
    Please tell me that was sarcasm.
    avon b7chemengin1yuck9kestral
  • Reply 6 of 19
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,573member
    sbdude said:
    She’s awful! Uber is a toxic company and yet her job is to boost their reputation. Uber is like that friend that smiles at you but has a knife behind it’s back. 
    She's not really needed at Apple since Apple's reputation is already golden. You are right, Uber's reputation is similar to Facebook's so she is really needed there.
    Please tell me that was sarcasm.
    I made four statements. Which one did you think was sarcastic? I'm not able to read your mind.
    1. She's not really needed at Apple
    2. Apple's reputation is already golden.
    3. Uber's reputation is similar to Facebook's
    4. she is really needed there.

    The next couple of posts agreed with me, so methinks you are alone in your opinion. Why didn't you argue with them?

    edited December 2020 prolineBeatswatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 19
    Apple PR wouldn't be a challenge.  Now Uber? Yeah, that's a challenge.  They have a soiled public image with serious challenges. 
    Oferwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 19
    prolineproline Posts: 222member
    Apple PR wouldn't be a challenge.  Now Uber? Yeah, that's a challenge.  They have a soiled public image with serious challenges. 
    Exactly. I gotta commend this person for going somewhere she has the opportunity to distinguish herself. 
    watto_cobrakestral
  • Reply 9 of 19
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,728member
    Rayz2016 said:
    Have to give Americans their due. 

    You chaps really know how to take care of your teeth. 
    Well it is her job to create a squeaky clean public image.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 19
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,573member
    auxio said:
    Rayz2016 said:
    Have to give Americans their due. 

    You chaps really know how to take care of your teeth. 
    Well it is her job to create a squeaky clean public image.
    That statement was tongue-in-cheek.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 19
    She's got her job cut out for her at Uber. I hate that company. Signed up a couple of years ago but never took a ride. Needed a ride recently, so I opened the app. It told me I wasn't allowed to book a ride until I paid my outstanding balance of $0. Checking the ride history, it confirms I never took any rides. Signed up for Lyft instead and used it whenever I've needed a ride since.
    OferBeatscarthusiawatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 19
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    Rayz2016 said:
    Have to give Americans their due. 

    You chaps really know how to take care of your teeth. 
    She’s awful! Uber is a toxic company and yet her job is to boost their reputation. Uber is like that friend that smiles at you but has a knife behind it’s back. 

    That's why she takes care of her teeth.
  • Reply 13 of 19
    She's got her job cut out for her at Uber. I hate that company. Signed up a couple of years ago but never took a ride. Needed a ride recently, so I opened the app. It told me I wasn't allowed to book a ride until I paid my outstanding balance of $0. Checking the ride history, it confirms I never took any rides. Signed up for Lyft instead and used it whenever I've needed a ride since.
    On more than one occasion with Uber, the driver cancelled on ME and I was stuck with a cancellation fee! Too busy to dispute a $5 fee that takes hours to resolve. Lyft just never has as many drivers available, so.....I hate Uber, but just can’t quit it.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 19
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,373member
    Rayz2016 said:
    Have to give Americans their due. 

    You chaps really know how to take care of your teeth. 
    Or purchase veneers.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 19
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,108member
    Good luck polishing THAT turd.
  • Reply 16 of 19
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,931member
    It may come as a surprise to people on this site, but not everyone considers Apple’s image to be sterling. Still, I think Hazelbaker took the job with Uber because she enjoys a challenge!
    kestral
  • Reply 17 of 19
    Who in the hell follows or cares what PR people are doing (other than other people in the PR field)?
    amarkap
  • Reply 18 of 19
    Not sure working at Uber is worth the career damage. The company is irredeemably toxic. When they exhaust their VC funding and are gone - the world will be better for it
  • Reply 19 of 19
    Just guessing, but Apple probably offered her less money. That’s what I’d do for a role like this, weed out the people that aren’t truly enthusiastic about Apple’s mission.

    I don’t know how anyone could pass up an opportunity to work at the Apple spaceship. 
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