What Sets Toronto’s Top Tech Talent Apart? They All Worked at Uber

Some of Toronto’s most ambitious tech leaders share a noteworthy common trait: their experience at UberCanada. Since Uber first established its Canadian presence in 2012, the company has been at the forefront of transforming how people, food, and goods move across cities. From UberX to Uber Eats, Uber has built products that change the way Canadians interact with transportation and delivery services, positioning itself as not only a major player in the tech industry but also an incubator for local talent.

“I quickly came to realize that I had no idea what an innovative, fast-moving company was, because Uber was operating at a totally different level,” says Anne French, a former Uber executive who now leads strategy and business operations at Clutch, an auto-commerce platform. Uber’s rapid growth and focus on pushing the envelope on product development provided an environment for its employees to thrive and learn in ways that would shape their future endeavors.

Uber Canada’s outpost has launched several notable entrepreneurs and executives into the local startup and tech ecosystem. Key figures like Rob Khazzam, co-founder of Float; Kelly Kwan, general counsel at GoBolt; Andrew Tiffin, chief of staff to the CRO of Shopify; and Rachel Wong, co-founder of Monday Girl, all credit their formative years at Uber for honing their skills in scaling fast-paced businesses. Additionally, companies such as FreshBooks, Clutch, and The Peak have benefited from leadership talent who sharpened their expertise at Uber, proving that the company has had a lasting impact on the local startup scene.

The Uber Canada experience is defined by rapid growth, constant innovation, and a fast-paced market that demanded agility and a willingness to take bold risks. These are the qualities that have been passed down to the next generation of tech leaders in Toronto. Anne French’s journey from corporate to tech is a prime example of how Uber’s unique approach nurtures talent. French’s transition from brand marketing at Coca-Cola to Uber in 2015 was a pivotal move, allowing her to dive headfirst into the world of tech during Uber’s expansion across Canada.

At Uber, French was quickly drawn to the company’s startup-like energy. “Uber was really unique,” she recalls. “We were simultaneously advocating for a regulatory framework that would enable Uber to operate while building the infrastructure to support the product’s unprecedented consumer adoption and rapid scale-up.” This experience, which saw her involved in everything from marketing rideshare services to leading the Uber Eats operations during the pandemic, shaped her approach to strategy and operations in her subsequent role at Clutch.

French’s role at Uber evolved significantly over her six-year tenure. She started as the Marketing Manager for Uber Rides, then moved on to lead operations for Uber Eats in Canada, and later served as Chief of Staff for Uber’s Head of Marketing for the US and Canada. These experiences gave French the opportunity to work in various capacities, each one expanding her skill set and preparing her for the executive role she holds now.

Her time at Uber influenced not just her professional expertise but also her leadership mindset. “It was very much that ‘all-hands-on-deck’ mentality,” French says. “There’s no job that’s too big or too small. We were really building a business off the ground.” This sense of agility and startup-like energy left a lasting mark on her leadership style, which she now channels into her work at Clutch, where she helps drive the company’s strategy and growth.

French credits Uber for helping her develop the skills, experience, and confidence necessary to transition from the corporate world to the tech industry, particularly in a non-technical leadership role. She points to the supportive network of former Uber colleagues as a key factor in her success. “Uber created a very tight-knit group who have built these bonds… a network of people that have their fingerprints all over the tech companies across Toronto,” she says.

As an alumna of Uber, French still values the connections she made during her time at the company. The collaborative and innovative culture at Uber provided her with invaluable lessons in scaling a business and navigating the complexities of the tech sector. Today, she is using these lessons to challenge the norms of the auto commerce industry with Clutch, driving bold ideas and helping to reshape the way people think about car buying and selling. For French, the Uber experience was more than just a job—it was a foundation for future success in the ever-evolving tech landscape of Toronto.

In essence, Uber’s Canadian operations have become an incubator of talent, propelling former employees into leadership positions at some of Toronto’s most dynamic and fast-growing tech companies. The skills they honed at Uber—agility, boldness, and a willingness to innovate—are now shaping the city’s tech ecosystem, with a network of Uber alumni making significant contributions to the region’s startup and scaleup scene.