“Uber aims to improve people’s lives through technology”

Leaders League: Tell us a little about your role at Uber and your contributions to the company.

Cristhian Northcote: I´m the public policy manager of Uber in the Andean Region. My role is focused on building relationships with authorities and other stakeholders in each of the markets in which the Uber app is available in the Andean Region, including Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Our objective is to show the positive impact that our technology has for urban mobility, economic opportunities for people and the development of the communities in which we operate.

I’ve been part of the company for almost six years, and during that time, I have had the chance to unlock opportunities for our operations, building relationships and alliances with stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

What is Uber’s strategy to ensure the privacy and security of user and driver data?

At Uber, the protection of personal data from everyone that uses our technology is a priority. We follow international protocols for data protection such as GDPR, and we also follow internal principles and procedures to ensure the protection of personal data.  

What do you consider to be the main challenges in Latin America for sharing economy platforms?

Latin America is a region with large opportunities for taking advantage of technology cities and to open economic opportunities for millions of people and small businesses. The sharing economy allows people to find efficient solutions for their needs through technology, reducing transaction costs and increasing productivity. For example, Uber’s technology has improved urban mobility solutions in Latin America by providing simpler, more efficient, and more safe ways to move around cities.  

Still, there are challenges to be faced in Latin America in order to move faster on the road to digital transformation. Regulation is still probably the biggest challenge. Traditionally, technological advancements move at a faster pace than regulatory changes, which poses a challenge for the authorities and decision makers, when trying to keep pace and set regulatory frameworks that promote innovation and technology.  

On the other hand, private companies have the challenge to build relationships and open cooperation opportunities to show authorities the positive impact that technology can have on their cities or countries.

In a city like Lima, Ridesharing apps have helped create economic opportunities for hundreds of people

In Peru, what regulatory changes have impacted the company the most in recent years and what’s been Uber’s strategy to address them?

Peru is one of the few countries in Latin America that still has not approved a regulatory framework for ridesharing apps, despite the efforts that companies like Uber have made to advance in the regulatory landscape with authorities. When you take a look at the last ten years for the urban mobility system in cities like Lima, the only technological advance and innovation has been the introduction of ridesharing apps.

Ridesharing apps have facilitated private transportation services that complement the public transportation system, improving efficiency, safety and quality of services, but also, have helped create economic opportunities for hundreds of people.

Even without a regulatory framework, technology has kept moving forward, introducing new features to improve urban transportation. Just to name a few: online support, digital payments, real time tracking of the trip, efficient matching between trip requests and available drivers, among others. But a proper regulatory framework would give companies the confidence to keep investing in developing and deploying more tech solutions and improving the existing ones.  

What measures does Uber take to foster collaboration and dialogue with governments and regulators?

We are always at the disposal of the authorities to show how technology can contribute to cities’ development, share our experience and lessons learned from other regions and cooperate in formulating projects and regulatory frameworks that foster innovation and technological advance.

Since Uber’s technology not only exists in the “digital world”, but touches our physical reality, we look for opportunities of dialogue and cooperation with different levels and areas of public authorities, such as urban mobility, sustainability, public safety, digital transformation, female empowerment, and financial inclusion, among others.

Also, we believe that we can play a role in cooperation with civil society, so we work intensely with NGOs, associations, and academic institutions for creating and spreading knowledge that, in turn, can serve as reference points for decision makers.  

With respect to working with law firms, what are the qualities you value most in your external advisors?

Doing public policy for a global tech company requires a clear understanding of the challenges of the tech industry and a set of fundamental skills like strategic thinking, adaptability, quick decision-making and the ability to see the big picture.

But I would say that as – or even more - important as having these skills, is that our external advisors share the company values and objectives, which aim to improve people’s lives through technology and contribute to the development of cities with each and every project or initiative we carry out.