Rachel Whetstone | Influence 100

rachel-whetstone

Rachel Whetstone

SVP Public Policy & Communications
Uber

Google's noted policy and communications chief Rachel Whetstone left the plum post this year to become SVP of public policy and communications at Uber. Her newsworthy hiring came less than a year after the car share startup hired Democratic strategist David Plouffe for a similar role (he has moved into an advisory role at Uber). 

Whetstone certainly has a big fight on her hands. Uber is entangled in several regulatory battles — with its legality often coming into question. CEO Travis Kalanick “in the middle of a political campaign” against “the Big Taxi cartel” as its opponent. Whetstone joined Google in 2005 and climbed the ranks to the top comms post advising CEOs Eric Schmidt and co-founder Larry Page.