Irving has over 20 years of experience in building and marketing global technology brands. He most recently held the position of CMO/VP of Marketing of Meta Reality Labs, a position he held for three years.

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Before that he spent a similar amount of time at Eventbrite, having started as Chief Brand Officer before being promoted to CMO in 2019. He has also held senior marketing roles at Airbnb, Google and Apple.

At Google, Irving held the position of Global Brand Director of Google+ before being promoted to Senior Director of Marketing, whereas, at Apple, he was the Director of WW Marketing Communications.

Commenting on his appointment, Irving said: “I grew up in the automotive industry…always fascinated by helping people get places. And now, as a loyal Lyft rider for years, I get to meld my passion for transportation with the technology that helps riders and drivers alike”

“The brand foundations are strong – and yet there is so much more we can do to put the brand into action. Lyft is known for its warmth, likability, and endearing personality.” 

He added: “These are qualities that any other brand would be jealous of, and I am confident in the team’s ability to accelerate the brand connection to even more riders and drivers as we go forward.”

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In particular, Uber and Lyft will share information about drivers in the US who have been banned for breaking one of the five most critical safety issues as outlined in the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC) Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence Taxonomy, along with physical assault fatalities.

“Safety should never be proprietary. You should be safe no matter what ridesharing platform you choose. We’re thrilled to come together with Lyft to improve safety for the entire industry,” said Tony West, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Uber. “Tackling these tough safety issues is bigger than any one of us and this new Industry Sharing Safety Program demonstrates the value of working collaboratively with experts, advocates and others to make a meaningful difference. We encourage more companies to join us.”

Sharing of the information will be done by HireRight, a workforce solutions provider, which will match and share information between the companies and ensure each is abiding by standards informed by sexual violence prevention experts and the NSVRC Taxonomy.

The program will also be opened up to other transportation and delivery companies within the US. These other companies must agree to meet data accuracy expectations, apply the shared taxonomy to classify incident reports, maintain a fair handling of procedures and privacy measures, and communicate data on banned drivers with HireRight to be shared with other involved in the program.

“Sexual assault is drastically underreported, making these crimes less likely to show up in our rigorous background check and screening processes,” said Jennifer Brandenburger, Head of Policy Development at Lyft. “With the Industry Sharing Safety Program, Lyft and Uber are working together to further enhance our screening capabilities, as well as the safety of the entire rideshare industry.”

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The first feature, ‘Rides for Others’, makes it easier for Lyft users to book rides for their family members – whether they are in the same household or not. The person being ‘gifted’ the ride must also have a Lyft account, but the user who made the initial request in their app pays. Because the feature requires the ride recipient to have a Lyft account, it removes confusion around the pick-up.

That feature has rolled out to the entire US. The second feature, however, is currently only being piloted in California, Oregon, and Washington.

Lyft Family enables families to manage their ridesharing from a single account. The creator of a Lyft Family account can invite up to five family members to join their account and select a payment method that will be used for all of their trips. The account admin is also able to see all of their family’s trip details and receipts, once payment has been made.

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This is the second time that Uber has publicly reported its earnings following its disappointing IPO in May last year. However, this latest batch of results fell way short of Wall Street’s expectations.

The ride-hailing firm posted revenues of $3.17bn, growing 14 per cent over Q2 2018 but well below the over $3.3bn expected by analysts. Meanwhile, loss per share was reported at $4.72 compared to the $3.12 expected.

Uber has attributed the large quarterly loss to stock-based compensation relating to its IPO. Taking away this stock-based compensation, Uber’s losses were closer to $1.3bn, which is still around 30 per cent worse than the Q1 2019.

To lower costs, Uber has cut around 400 jobs from its marketing team over the past few weeks.

Though it’s all looking a bit gloomy for Uber at the moment, it did see its monthly active platform consumers reach over 100m for the first time in July, averaging 99m over the three-month period – a 30 per cent increase over the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, gross bookings grew to $15.76bn year-over-year from $12.01bn and trips taken were up 35 per cent to 1.68bn.

“Our platform strategy continues to deliver strong results, with trips up 35 per cent and gross bookings up 37 per cent in constant currency, compared to the second quarter of last year,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO. “In July, the Uber platform reached over 100m monthly active platform consumers for the first time, as we become a more and more integral part of everyday life in cities around the world.”

Earlier this week, Uber’s rival Lyft reported a far rosier picture. The second most popular ride-hailing service in the US reported a loss per share of $0.68, far exceeding Wall Street’s expectations of a $1.74 loss. At the same time, revenues were at $867m compared to the $809m expected. There were also 21.8m ‘active riders’ on its platform in the quarter, once again above analysts’ 21.1m expectations.

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After reporting the biggest first-day dollar loss in US IPO history, Uber continues to plummet on the New York Stock Exchange, much like its rival Lyft has on the Nasdaq. Prior to the IPO, Uber claimed it would sell shares for $45 a piece, but Friday morning the company began trading at $42 a share. By the end of the business day, Uber’s stock had dropped 7.6 per cent, closing at $41.57 per share. It’s reported that investors lost $655bn, the worst debut loss in US IPO history.

By this morning, Uber shares continued to nose-dive 10 per cent more, with no sign of stopping. Analysts have begun weighing in on how this could have happened not once, but twice, considering Lyft’s disappointing IPO six weeks ago. Many want to blame the rising trade tensions between the US and Chinese governments, which continue to escalate following more threats from president Trump.

“While it might be easy to call out market conditions for these failings, the unvarnished truth is that these declines represent a fundamental disconnect between public and private valuations,” said Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek Research.

As of earlier today, Uber is trading at $37.61 per share, while Lyft opened at $49.40 per share – down three per cent from Friday. Since Lyft’s IPO in March, the companys stock has tanked by 29 per cent.

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Waymo has joined forces with Lyft to scale the self-driving ride-hailing service it introduced at the backend of 2018.

To begin with, Google parent company Alphabet’s Waymo will deploy 10 of its vehicles on Lyft in the Metro Phoenix area over the next few months. Once these vehicles arrive on the platform, Lyft users in the area will be able to select a Waymo vehicle for eligible rides within the Lyft app.

According to Waymo, its Waymo One service has grown to serve more than 1,000 riders “who hail Waymo cars each day to commute to and from work, bring their kids to school, get to the grocery store, and even to avoid parking at trailheads before a big run”.

Lyft and Waymo first agreed to collaborate on autonomous vehicles back in 2017, with the aim of working together to bring self-driving into the mainstream.

News of the partnership comes as Lyft reported the first of its financial results since going public in March. The company recorded a loss of $1.14bn for the first quarter of 2019. However, it attributed $894m of its net loss to stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expenses.

Despite the huge losses, Lyft almost doubled its revenue compared to Q1 2018. The ride-hailing firm reported revenue of $776m, which is a 95 per cent increase on the $397.2m from the year prior.

Lyft’s chief financial officer, Brian Roberts, said that 2019 will be the company’s “peak loss year” as it begins to “move steadily towards profitability on a consolidated basis”.

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Ride-sharing app Lyft experienced a loss of $1.138bn in its first quarter of 2019, according to the company’s Q1 2019 financial statements. Of that net loss, $894m (£683m) accounted for stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expenses, linked to the company’s disappointing IPO earlier this year. Lyft’s chief financial officer, Brian Roberts, said the company anticipates 2019 will be their “peak loss year,” varying extremely from the $234.4m loss reported in Q1 2018.

“We are encouraged by our strength of our core business and see a clear path of profitability and ridesharing,” said Roberts. “We anticipate that 2019 will be our peak loss year as we then move steadily towards profitability on a consolidated basis.”

Lyft did see a Q1 2019 revenue of $776m (£593m), up 95 per cent year-over-year from $397.2m in Q1 2018. Active riders for the app jumped 46 per cent, to 20.5m this quarter, which was triggered by the publicity of the IPO, according to Roberts. Even with these improved metrics, the company isn’t likely to produce a profit anytime soon.

Looking forward to Q2, Lyft says it anticipates total revenue to be between $800m and $810m, and Adjusted EBITDA loss to be between $270m and $280m. For the 2019 fiscal year, Lyft predicts hitting a total revenue between $3.275bn and $3.3bn, with an Adjusted EBITDA loss between $1.15bn and $1.175bn.

“The first quarter was a strong start to an important year, our first as a public company,” said Logan Green, co-founder and CEO of Lyft. “Our performance was driven by the increased demand for our network and multi-modal platform, as Active Riders grew 46 per cent and revenue grew 95 per cent year-over-year. Transportation is one of the largest segments of our economy and we are still in the very early stages of an enormous secular shift from personal car ownership to Transportation-as-a-Service.”

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Following the murder of a college student after she got into a car she mistook for her Uber, public outcry and petitions have prompted both Lyft and Uber to update their safety features. At the end of March, Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old student at the University of South Carolina, was found dead, just hours after leaving her friends in what she thought was her Uber. Now, both ride-hailing companies have released a new set of initiatives to prevent this tragedy from happening again.

Earlier this week, Lyft announced it will be adding two new features to its platform: continuous criminal background checks and enhanced identity verification. Before Lyft drivers can give their first ride, they must already pass an initial criminal background check, and must have their background checked every 12 months after that. With continuous criminal background checks, Lyft will now keep daily tabs on their drivers, and will be alerted if any of them are arrested for a “disqualifying” crime.

Additionally, Lyft will be implementing a more detailed identity verification process, which uses both drivers license verification and photographic identity verification to prevent driver fraud. If a passenger has any doubts about their driver, they can require the Lyft driver to provide “evidence that they are carrying the approved driver’s license as well as a real-time photo of their face.”

Following suit, today Uber announced it will be partnering with the University of South Carolina for a new Campus Safety Initiative, effective immediately. Uber will also be launching new programs including a National Awareness Campaign, On-Campus Education, and Bystander Intervention. Dedicated Pick-Up Zones and Campus Rides will be available at the University of South Carolina, with the chance to expand to other colleges in the future.

“We were heartbroken by the recent crime committed by a fake rideshare driver in South Carolina. While no words can alleviate the loss felt by the Josephson family, we are committed to continuing to take action to make our communities safer,” said Andrew Macdonald, Uber, vice president of operations, Americas.

Uber will also be adding Check Your Ride Push Notifications and a Check Your Ride In-App Banner to its app, to remind passengers to double-check license plate and driver information before entering the car.

University of South Carolina president Harris Pastides, who will soon join Uber’s Safety Advisory Board said, “I am pleased to partner with Uber on a new Campus Safety Initiative along with other important advances. By promoting essential safety tips such as Check Your Ride and the university’s What’s My Name campaign, I truly believe we can help ensure ridesharing is safe for all students.”

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Lyft’s much anticipated IPO is here, and it’s massive. Wednesday night, the ride-hailing app confirmed it would be starting its price-per-stock at $72, which lasted about an hour into Nasdaq’s chaotic Friday morning. In the first few minutes of the app’s Wall Street debut, its stock rose over 21 per cent, with shares going for $87.24 each by mid-day.

The company, which has made over 30,000,000m shares available for purchase, is now valued at $30bn, up from its starting valuation of $24bn this morning. Even with shares going fast, Lyft co-founders have nothing to worry about. Both CEO Logan Green and president John Zimmer will remain in control of almost half of the voting shares, due to their “super-shares”, which give them 20 votes per share.

Besides the co-founders, Lyft’s biggest shareholders are now Rakuten, with $2.5bn worth of shares, GM with $1.5bn worth, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, with $1.2bn worth of the company’s stock.

Industry experts predict Lyft’s successful IPO will create more momentum for Silicon Valley tech start-ups. Lyft is the first company to go public in 2019 and is considered to be setting the bar for future tech trading debuts.

Lyft’s biggest competitor, Uber, is set to go public within the next couple of weeks. Although Lyft beat Uber to an IPO, Uber is currently valued at a whopping $120bn. Earlier this week, both Lyft and Uber experienced setbacks when contracted drivers began protesting and striking throughout California in response to slashed wages.

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During a week full of driver protests and IPO preparation, Lyft has announced its new Lyft Driver Services, an array of benefits to “help drivers succeed on their own terms.” In a blog post published by John McNeill, the COO unveiled new perks including a Lyft bank account, debit card, and Lyft-employed vehicle maintenance centers.

‘When we launched, no one could have predicted that in 2018 alone, one per cent of the U.S. workforce—nearly 2m drivers—would turn to Lyft to earn income when they want, and that since inception drivers would collectively earn more than $10bn,” wrote McNeill. “Talk to any rideshare driver, and it becomes apparent why: Today’s workers need flexible ways of earning more money while choosing their own schedule. And they’re increasingly looking to Lyft as the option that works for them.”

Included in Lyft Driver Services is the launch of Lyft Direct, which will give drivers access to a no-fee bank account and debit card. Using Lyft Direct, any driver – regardless of credit score – will be provided with a bank account free of minimums or maintenance fees.

Their earnings will be added to their debit card as soon as a ride is completed, and that money can be spent on anything. Drivers will receive four per cent cash back on certain restaurants, two per cent back on gas, and one per cent on groceries.

“The Lyft Direct debit card will include access to financial planning tools and goal-setting features to help drivers hit their personal and professional goals,” said McNeill.

Lyft also announced plans to open vehicle repair shops for the convenience of the company’s drivers. These repair shops will be solely employed by Lyft team members, including certified mechanics. Drivers will be provided with discounts of up to 50 per cent on car maintenance, repairs, cleanings, and more.

For drivers who live well outside of metropolitan areas, Lyft will be launching an on-demand mobile repair service. Lyft maintenance services will be available in April, starting in the San Francisco area.

Lastly, McNeill unveiled plans to further expand Lyft’s existing Express Drive program, which was founded in 2016. The program allows Lyft drivers who do not have access to a certified car to obtain a rental through the company. Since 2016, more than 180,000 people have been given cars so that they could start driving for Lyft.

Lyft will be expanding the Express Drive program to 30 new cities and has ordered 6,100 new vehicles for drivers without cars, including 4,600 hybrid or electric cars.

This past week, both Uber and Lyft drivers took to protesting in the streets of California, after both companies slashed driver wages.

“The economic anxieties preventing Americans from getting ahead have never been more apparent than they are today, when more than half of adults still have less than $1,000 saved to cover an emergency. We’re humbled that in 2018, nearly 2m people used Lyft to fill this gap, and we take seriously our responsibility to provide a modern workforce with a renewed sense of flexibility and security,” said McNeill.

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