A growing number of Canadians have risen to prominent leadership positions at Uber, bringing valuable insights and experiences from Toronto to the global stage. These leaders have played pivotal roles in expanding Uber’s presence in over 70 countries, driving engineering innovation in Silicon Valley, and addressing marketing challenges across diverse international markets. As Uber continues to scale its operations globally, the success stories of these Canadian leaders showcase how local expertise can have a significant impact on a global company.
One of the key proponents of this narrative is Andrew Macdonald, Senior Vice President of Mobility and Business Operations at Uber. Macdonald’s journey to Uber began in 2012, when he was winding down his retail tech startup in Toronto. After a chance conversation in a co-working space, he learned about an opportunity at Uber to lead its operations in Canada. Although he had no previous experience in ridesharing, his entrepreneurial background and experience with a failed startup made him an ideal candidate. Macdonald believes that entrepreneurs, especially those who have faced failure, possess valuable insights and resilience, qualities that Uber’s founder Travis Kalanick also valued.
When Macdonald joined Uber, the company was still in its early stages, with just 60 employees worldwide, and operations limited to a few cities. As the General Manager for Toronto, he faced the challenge of navigating the city’s complex regulatory landscape and building Uber’s brand from scratch. Toronto initially lagged behind other markets in terms of adoption, largely due to its professional class’s preference for BlackBerrys, but Macdonald and his team found a workaround by enabling ride-hailing via text messages. Despite these early obstacles, Canada quickly became one of Uber’s top five markets for both delivery and mobility.
Macdonald’s career trajectory at Uber mirrors the company’s growth. Within a year of starting, he was tasked with overseeing operations in the US Midwest, while still managing Canada. Over time, his role expanded to include Latin America and Asia-Pacific. In 2016, he returned to Toronto, where he now oversees Uber’s mobility business in more than 70 countries, including ridesharing, micromobility, taxis, public transit, and high-capacity vehicles. Additionally, he leads Uber’s sustainability initiatives and autonomous mobility efforts. Macdonald credits his entrepreneurial experience for preparing him to thrive in Uber’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment, and he believes that Canadian leaders can achieve significant global impact while remaining rooted in Canada.
Neil Barakat’s story highlights the growing tech ecosystem in Toronto and its increasing importance to global companies like Uber. A Winnipeg native with a PhD from the University of Toronto, Barakat transitioned from academia to the tech industry, working at Amazon before joining Uber in 2018. At the time, Uber was in the process of establishing a tech hub in Toronto. Barakat was initially skeptical, but was drawn to the company’s ambitious mission, rapid pace, and the opportunity to work on complex challenges that blended software with the real world.
Barakat’s first major task at Uber was building teams for the Toronto tech hub. He introduced the concept of “centres of excellence,” creating dedicated teams to own critical areas such as Uber’s advertising offerings on Uber Eats and the rider-driver matching system for pre-scheduled trips. This approach was designed to foster a sense of ownership and pride within the local teams. One of the key successes that emerged from this strategy was the launch of Uber Reserve, a feature that allows riders to schedule rides in advance. The Toronto team played a crucial role in rethinking Uber’s matching algorithm to account for future car availability, a departure from the typical approach of real-time matching based on proximity.
Another major success attributed to the Toronto tech hub was the development of Uber Ads, the company’s advertising division integrated into Uber Eats. Barakat notes that the engineering team responsible for Uber Ads was originally based in Toronto, and the business has since become one of Uber’s most important revenue-generating segments.
After five years of building and expanding Toronto’s tech presence, Barakat relocated to San Francisco to serve as Director of Engineering, overseeing teams for Uber’s experimentation and mapping platforms. His journey from academia to the tech industry and his role in shaping Uber’s engineering operations in Toronto are a testament to the city’s growing importance as a global tech hub.
These stories of Canadian leadership at Uber are not just about personal success; they reflect the broader narrative that Canadian talent can thrive on the global stage, even within large tech companies traditionally associated with other regions. The growing influence of Canadian leaders at Uber highlights the country’s increasing prominence in the global tech ecosystem and provides a powerful counterpoint to the idea that the path to success in tech necessarily leads out of Canada. These leaders are proving that with ambition, innovation, and the right opportunities, Canadians can make a significant impact in the global tech world while remaining connected to their roots.