Since establishing its Safety Advisory Board in November, Uber has been paying closer attention to the numerous security and safety issues that have plagued the transportation giant seemingly since its inception. And now, it’s bringing the big guns to the table. Former U.S. Secret Service director Mark Sullivan is the latest big name to join Uber’s board, and the company hopes he’ll use his decades of experience in protecting America’s leaders to help keep Uber drivers and passengers safe.
Sullivan, who served as director of the Secret Service from 2006 until 2013, has co-founded his own security company — Global Security Innovative Strategies, described as “a security consulting and business advisory firm [that] leverages its extensive private sector, homeland and public security, public sector and international expertise to provide comprehensive solutions for its clients.”
The ex-director will join a team that includes security officer Joe Sullivan (previously of Facebook). And, of course, who could forget Uber’s surprising hiring of car hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, who remotely hacked into a moving jeep in a now-famous stunt.
“As we continue to innovate and grow, we depend on the advice of this [safety advisory] board to help guide our creativity and give us insights into their fields of expertise — ranging from women’s safety to law enforcement,” said Joe Sullivan. “For 35 years, Mr. Sullivan served in many capacities as a federal law enforcement agent, where he led high-impact initiatives in criminal investigations and protective operations, threat assessment, and risk management.”
This latest addition to Uber’s leadership team could help assuage concerns of passengers around the world, and make getting from Point A to Point B less a more secure activity.
