Lior Ron (business executive)
Lior Ron | |
|---|---|
 Ron speaks during a panel discussion of the DLD17 (Digital-Life-Design) Conference at the Alte Bayerische Staatsbank on 16 January, 2017, in Munich. | |
| Born | March 16, 1977 |
| Alma mater | Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (BSc and MA) Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Co-founder, Otto Founder & CEO, Uber Freight |
Lior Ron (born March 16, 1977) is an Israeli businessman. He is the founder and CEO of logistics technology company Uber Freight, and the co-founder of self-driving truck company Otto.
Early life and education
Ron grew up in Israel near Haifa.[1] He attended the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, where he earned a bachelor's degree in computer science in 1997.[2] He then joined Israeli Army Intelligence, where he served until 2004.[1]
After the Army, he earned a master's degree in computer science at Technion, incorporating artificial intelligence as he developed a biomedical device to assist patients suffering with Parkinson's disease.[1] He then moved to California and earned an MBA from The Stanford Graduate School of Business.[3] His undergraduate work and master's thesis were centered around AI when it was still in its early stages.[4]
Career
In 2007, Ron joined Google as the Product Lead for Google Maps.[5] He then worked at Motorola Mobility after it was acquired by Google, and in Google's robotics research effort.[6]
Otto
In 2016, Ron left Google to found Otto, a company that makes self-driving kits to retrofit big rig trucks.[7][8] Quoted in Wired, Ron said he left Google because he “felt an obligation to bring this technology to society sooner rather than later.”[9] Otto launched in May 2016, and was acquired by Uber in late July of the same year.[10] The Uber partnership allowed Ron and Otto the opportunity to develop a freight marketplace for truck drivers.[11][12]
Uber Freight
On May 18, 2017, Ron and Uber launched Uber Freight, a unit of Uber initially designed as an app connecting long-haul truck drivers with companies in need of cargo shipping, with Ron as CEO.[13][14] In August 2018, Uber Freight launched a new digital platform focused on shippers, to help them find the right driver for their needs.[15] In 2021, Uber Freight acquired Transplace for $2.25 billion, expanding its services to include managed transportation, logistics software, and consulting.[16]
With Ron as CEO, Uber Freight has evolved into a full-scale logistics technology company for shippers and drivers, as Ron introduced more advanced generative AI capabilities to Uber Freight's software and Insights AI logistics platform.[4][14] In September 2024, the company announced it manages nearly $20 billion in freight, and serves one in three Fortune 500 companies.[17] In May 2025, the company launched the transportation industry's first large-scale AI-powered logistics network, with its large language model embedded directly into its transportation management system.[18]
Controversy
Ron co-founded Otto with Anthony Levandowski, who faces a lawsuit brought in 2017 from Google's parent company Alphabet that alleges Levandowski stole trade secrets while working for Alphabet's self-driving car division before he and Ron co-founded Otto.[19]
References
- ^ a b c Waxman-Lenz, Michael (5 November 2024). "Technion Trailblazers: Lior Ron on the Global Impact of the Strongest Education". Times of Israel. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ "Meet Lior Ron, the Israeli Tech Guru at the Center of the Self-Driving Revolution". Forward. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Meet Lior Ron, The Guy In Charge Of Google's Big Attempt To Kill Samsung And Apple With An 'X Phone'". Business Insider. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ a b O'Kane, Sean (21 May 2025). "Uber Freight bets big on AI tools to grow its business". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Harris, Mark (17 May 2016). "The Man Who Built Google's First Self-Driving Car Is Now a Trucker". Backchannel. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Markoff, John (17 May 2016). "Want to Buy a Self-Driving Car? Big-Rig Trucks May Come First". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Uber's First Self-Driving Fleet Arrives in Pittsburgh This Month". Bloomberg.com. BloombergBusinessweek. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Google veterans head off on their own to work on self-driving trucks". The Verge. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Stewart, Jack (17 May 2016). "$30K Retrofit Turns Dumb Semis Into Self-Driving Robots". Wired. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Uber acquires Otto to lead Uber's self-driving car effort". TechCrunch. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Why Self-Driving Trucks May Be the Next Big Thing on the Road". TIME. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Otto co-founder Lior Ron is back at Uber". 7 August 2018.
- ^ "Uber launches Uber Freight, its app for long-haul trucking jobs". The Verge. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ a b LaRocco, Lori Ann (2 November 2023). "Uber Freight CEO says the shipping recession is at a new tipping point". CNBC. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Cosgrove, Emma (21 August 2018). "Uber Freight launches new platform just for shippers". Supply Chain Dive. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Page, Paul (22 July 2021). "Uber's Freight Unit to Buy Logistics Tech Firm Transplace for $2.25 Billion". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Sharkey, Grace (10 September 2024). "Uber Freight announces new tech offerings, reaches $20B in managed freight". Freight Waves. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Brohan, Mark (22 May 2025). "Uber Freight unveils scaled AI logistics network". Digital Commerce 360. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Isaac, Mike; Wakabayashi, Daisuke (25 February 2017). "A Lawsuit Against Uber Highlights the Rush to Conquer Driverless Cars". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 April 2017.