Uber delivery business head departs; insider Macdonald appointed COO

(Reuters) -Uber Technologies said on Monday the head of its delivery business, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, is leaving the company after nearly 13 years.

As senior vice president of Uber's delivery unit, Gore-Coty oversaw the company's Uber Eats business as well as grocery and other on-demand delivery offerings, and is credited with steering the division through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Uber also announced it has named Andrew Macdonald as its chief operating officer, reinstating the role almost six years after it was eliminated in a leadership overhaul in 2019.

Macdonald, who has been with Uber since 2012 serving in several leadership roles, will now be responsible for Uber's mobility, delivery and autonomous businesses. He will also oversee cross-platform functions such as membership and customer support.

"This is a natural next step in our evolution as a company, as we drive growth by increasing engagement across our entire platform," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said of Macdonald's appointment.

The moves, effective immediately, come as Uber has been trying to expand its business portfolio to drive growth amid signs of saturation in its mainstay North American business.

Uber's delivery business has also been facing stiff competition from rivals such as DoorDash.

Last month, Uber signed a $700 million deal to acquire a majority stake of 85% in Turkish food and grocery delivery platform Trendyol Go.

(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)