Thomson Reuters Travis Kalanick, the co-founder and CEO of Uber, has stepped down as the ride-hailing company's top executive. Brand experts welcome the move, saying it's the first step Uber needs to reinvent itself. The company and Kalanick's rise and fall offers several lessons for other brands. Brands must not deprioritize culture, respond quickly in the face of crisis, appoint the right leaders and cultivate their employees as their key advocates, say experts. A week after Travis Kalanick announced that he would take a leave of absence, the Uber CEO has gone one step further and stepped down as the ride-hailing company's top executive.