Emil Michael
Emil G. Michael | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 19, 1972 Cairo, Egypt |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Known for | Senior vice president of business at Uber, COO at Klout |
Emil G. Michael (; born September 19, 1972) is an American entrepreneur originally from Egypt. He held the position of senior vice president of business and chief business officer at Uber and previously served as chief operating officer at Klout.
In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump declared his plan to nominate Michael for the role of Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
Early life and education
Michael was born in Cairo, Egypt, into a family belonging to the Coptic Christian faith, and relocated to the United States during the early 1970s.[1]
He pursued his undergraduate studies at Harvard University, contributing as a writer for the Harvard Crimson and leading the Harvard Republican Club as president in 1992.[2] Under his leadership, the organization was renamed the Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Club to enhance inclusivity. He graduated cum laude in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government.
Michael earned a Juris Doctor degree with honors from Stanford Law School.
Career
His professional journey started in strategy consulting at Gemini Consulting’s Converging Markets Laboratory located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following law school, he joined Goldman Sachs in New York as an Associate within the Communications, Media and Entertainment Investment Banking Group, where he specialized in advising on mergers, hostile takeovers, equity financing, and bank debt transactions. He departed Goldman Sachs in 1999.
Between June 1999 and 2008, Michael held executive roles at Tellme Networks, an early innovator in speech recognition technology within the internet telephony sector. In 2007, Tellme was acquired by Microsoft for around $800 million.
During President Obama’s first year in office, Michael was appointed one of fifteen White House Fellows and served as Special Assistant to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates from 2009 through 2011. His responsibilities included assignments in Afghanistan and Pakistan. After completing his Pentagon service, he provided consulting services to technology firms based in New York.
In July 2012, Michael assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer and joined the board of directors at Klout, maintaining his COO position until September 2013 when he transitioned to Uber. Klout was later acquired by Lithium for approximately $200 million in early 2014.
Michael commenced his tenure at Uber as senior vice president of business in September 2013. Acting as CEO Travis Kalanick’s principal deputy, he contributed significantly to raising close to $15 billion for the company. He was instrumental in Uber’s entry into the Chinese market, expanding an initial $2 billion investment into a valuation of $7 billion by 2016 and establishing strategic alliances with Chinese firms such as Baidu. In August 2016, Michael spearheaded Uber’s merger with local competitor Didi Chuxing in China. Didi subsequently launched its IPO in June 2021, raising $4.4 billion.
Journalism controversy
On November 17, 2014, Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, revealed that Michael, who was then a senior executive at Uber, had proposed allocating "a million dollars" to hire opposition researchers and journalists to delve into the personal backgrounds of reporters covering Uber. Michael stated that he believed the discussion was "off the record" and explained that his intent was to challenge why certain journalists published what he considered inaccurate and critical stories about business leaders. He singled out Sarah Lacy, a reporter at Pando Daily, known for her coverage of Uber's alleged misogynistic culture. In response, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick issued tweets apologizing and distancing the company from Michael’s remarks. The episode attracted widespread media scrutiny and public criticism. Michael later issued an apology for his statements.
Karaoke bar controversy
During a 2014 business trip to Seoul, South Korea, several local Uber staff invited Michael to a hostess escort karaoke establishment. At the venue, four male employees chose hostesses from a lineup before participating in karaoke performances. About a year later, a female Uber manager reported feeling uneasy about the event and filed a complaint with human resources. This incident came to light in March 2017 after Michael reached out to Gabi Holzwarth, who had also attended, cautioning her about an impending press report and allegedly requesting confidentiality regarding the visit. Michael subsequently apologized for his role in attending and not preventing the event. Three months following the public disclosure of this controversy, Michael departed from Uber after serving four years.
Russia
In 2017, Michael was instrumental in brokering a joint venture with Yandex, Russia’s largest technology company and dominant internet search provider, often referred to as the "Google of Russia." Uber invested $225 million and acquired a 36.6% stake in the merged ride-sharing operation, alongside Yandex’s $100 million investment. This collaboration enabled Uber to enhance its market presence in Russia by partnering with a leading local competitor.
Later career
In August 2019, it emerged that Michael had been considered for the position of Secretary of Transportation during President Donald Trump’s initial cabinet formation in early 2016; however, Elaine Chao was ultimately selected.
By 2020, as chairman and CEO of DPCM Capital, Michael announced plans for a $250 million initial public offering involving a blank-check company.
In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump declared his intention to nominate Michael as Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
Non-profit board memberships
In 2014, Michael joined the Pentagon’s Defense Business Board as one of eight new appointees added to fifteen existing members. Created in 2002 to offer independent advice from the private sector, the board gained from Michael’s distinctive experience within startup environments among its new members.
Startups
Michael has contributed as an investor and advisor to a variety of startups, such as:
- Cepi Style
- Joymode, a startup specializing in equipment rentals centered around experiences
- NeuCoin, a cryptocurrency developed specifically for microtransaction purposes
- Fundbox, offering financial solutions tailored for small business needs
- Rise, an application focused on dietary management
- Kidizen, a marketplace dedicated to secondhand children's apparel
- Familiar, a service designed for private photo sharing
- Swipely, a platform that transforms buying activities into interactive discussions
- Ribbon, a payments company facilitating transactions directly within Facebook’s News Feed
- Checkstep, an AI-driven content moderation provider based in London
Recognition
In 2014, Fast Company recognized Michael as one of the “Most Creative People in Marketing” and included him among the “100 Most Creative People in Business,” underscoring his significant impact on marketing strategies and business innovation.
Personal life
Michael wed his longtime partner Julie Herrin in Miami, Florida, during early 2018. Their relationship began in 2012 when they met in Las Vegas.
- ↑ "Emil G. Michael | Writer Profile | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
- ↑ "GOP Club Changes Its Name | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-02.