Benchmark Capital Files Lawsuit Against Uber Co-Founder, Former CEO Travis Kalanick. A power-play by Benchmark. Uber is a story with significant "hair" on it. Having Kalanick - the former CEO who was removed amidst a storm of controversy - remain on the Board makes it especially difficult to recruit the next CEO, especially given Kalanick's comments that he wants back into the CEO chair. Further, the cloud of controversy, executive turnover, etc. makes it difficult for Uber to maximize its valuation potential.