An Uber board member with ties to Seattle has resigned from his post after making a sexist remark during a staff meeting.
David Bonderman resigned after audio leaked from the meeting. Bonderman is a graduate of the University of Washington and recently joined the Oak View Group's effort to redevelop KeyArena.
Bonderman is also a minority owner of the Boston Celtics.
During a staff meeting Tuesday to discuss the company's culture, Arianna Huffington was discussing the hiring of a second female to the board.
"There's a lot of data that shows that when there's one woman on the board, it's much more likely that there will be a second woman on the board," Huffington said.
"Actually, what is shows is that it's much more likely to be more talking," Bonderman interjected.
Bonderman's resignation came within hours of his remark and the same day that Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced he will take an indefinite leave of absence following a months-long investigation into the company's corporate culture spurred by former engineer Susan Fowler's claims of sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
Bonderman later called the remark "careless, inappropriate, and inexcusable."
I appreciate David doing the right thing for Uber at this time of critical cultural changes at the company. https://t.co/jCw0y9tBYY
— Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) June 14, 2017
Oak View Group founder and CEO Tim Leiweke released this statement:
"David Bonderman did the right and honorable thing by immediately taking responsibility for his comments and sending a very strong message by stepping down from the Uber board. I know David and know his comments do not represent him, his beliefs, or the views of Oak View Group. He has acknowledged that, even though the comments were misunderstood, their impact was clear and he needed to hold himself to the same standards being asked of the company. I have known David a long time: he has always shown dedication to fairness and equality in his business and philanthropic endeavors and his record clearly reflects that."
GeekWire reports Bonderman's company TPG Capital acquired Kirkland-based Wave Broadband last month.
He has also established the Bonderman Travel Fellowship program that gives undergraduate students an opportunity to engage in independent exploration and travel abroad.
Jessica Guynn of USA Today contributed to this report.
