Uber’s approach to safety has long been grounded in the feedback and guidance we receive from safety experts and advocates. We founded the Uber Safety Advisory Board in 2015 to provide critical external counsel on our approach to safety management, processes, and technologies. Since its inception, we have partnered closely with the Board to guide some of Uber’s most important safety initiatives, including our commitment to safety reporting, creating industry-first programs like the Industry Sharing Safety Program, and in-app features such as the Emergency Button, Live Help from a Safety Agent and GPS tracking on every trip.

Today we are thrilled to announce John L. Henshaw, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor and Director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Janet DiFiore, former Chief Judge of New York Court of Appeals will join Uber’s Safety Advisory Board. Henshaw and DiFiore bring decades of experience in their respective fields spanning worker health and safety, criminal justice reform and community engagement. 

As U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Henshaw headed up the administration’s efforts to ensure worker safety and health in the United States by partnering with employers and employees to create better working environments. Currently, Henshaw is President of John Henshaw and Associates, Inc., a safety and health professional services firm of Florida.

DiFiore was Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the State of New York — the state’s highest court. In that role, Judge DiFiore led the state’s judiciary and played a crucial role in shaping legal interpretations and decisions. Prior roles included Westchester County Court Judge and Westchester District Attorney. 

Henshaw and DiFiore join a diverse set of board members across a range of disciplines including experts in gender-based violence and domestic violence prevention, road safety, public health, and law enforcement. 

We convene with the Board on a regular basis and continue to work with them to develop prevention policies, identify additional opportunities to enhance safety, build proactive campaigns to address unsafe behavior with partner organizations, engage our users, and ultimately do our part to drive systemic change on societal safety issues.

Members of the Uber Safety Advisory Board include:

Jeh C. Johnson former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

Chairman of Uber’s Safety Advisory Board. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Johnson was the head of the third largest cabinet department of the U.S. government. Prior to this appointment, he was General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2009-2012). Secretary Johnson has chaired the Board since 2018.

Janet DiFiore former Chief Judge of New York Court of Appeals

DiFiore was Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the State of New York. In that role, DiFiore led the state’s judiciary and played a crucial role in shaping legal interpretations and decisions. Prior roles included Westchester County Court Judge and Westchester District Attorney.

Tho Bella Dinh-Zarr, PHD, MPH former Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); Senior Advisor at TIRF and FIA Foundation

Dinh-Zarr served as the 42nd Member of the US NTSB (2015-2019). She co-chaired the UN NGO Committee on Sustainable Development and was the UN NGO Representative for the FIA Foundation, an international philanthropy with the mission of promoting safe and sustainable surface transportation, especially in developing countries. She joined the Board in 2020.

Indira M. Henard, DSW, MSW Executive Director, DC Rape Crisis Center

Henard leads the DC Rape Crisis Center, the oldest center of its kind in the U.S. She has also consulted with the Department of Defense to respond to ongoing claims of sexual harassment and assault. She joined the Board in 2020. 

John L. Henshaw former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor and Director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

As U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Henshaw headed up the administration’s efforts to ensure worker safety and health in the United States. Currently, Henshaw is President of John Henshaw and Associates, Inc., a safety and health professional services firm.

Claire Jarashow, PHD, MPH former Director of Vaccine Preventable Disease Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Dr. Jarashow is the Founder of Unfathomable Health and a Science and Technology Advisor to the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Previous experience includes the Director of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Control Program and Chief of Epidemiology & Data for the Communicable Disease Control Program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consultant for the World Health Organization, and a Bill & Melinda Gates Grand Challenges awardee.

Erica Olsen Director of the Safety Net Project, National Network to End Domestic Violence

Olsen leads the Safety Net project, within the National Network to End Domestic Violence. She has worked closely with Uber since 2018 and formally joined the Board in 2020. 

John Pistole President of Anderson University; former administrator of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Pistole served as deputy director of the FBI for six years (2004-2010). President Obama appointed Pistole as head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2010, an institution he led until 2015. He is currently the President of Anderson University. Pistole joined the Board in 2019.