Mark MacGann made his name as the Uber lobbyist who leaked more than 124,000 confidential company files to the Guardian newspaper on July 10 2022. The files supported MacGann’s belief that the ride-sharing company had knowingly flouted laws in numerous jurisdictions and misled people about the benefits to drivers of the firm’s business model.
“The company’s approach in these places was essentially to break the law, show how amazing Uber’s service was, and then change the law,” said MacGann in an interview with the Guardian.
A career lobbyist, MacGann served as Uber’s head of public policy from 2014 to 2016. He led the company’s efforts to persuade governments in more than 40 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to change taxi laws and create a business-friendly climate for the ride-sharing firm.
The Ireland-born executive acknowledged that he had actively participated in some of the wrongdoing and expressed regret for his actions.
MacGann forged his career in public policy at established firms including Weber Shandwick and Brunswick. He also ran DigitalEurope, an industry association that promoted the interests of multinationals including Sony, Apple and Microsoft.
Uber has acknowledged its past failing but emphasised that it had been transformed since Dara Khosrowshahi took over as CEO in 2017.
