Nurten Ozbas is an International Tax Director for EMEA at Uber, based in Amsterdam. Before joining Uber nine-and-half years ago, she was employed by Big 4 accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Nurten shares an insight into Uber’s innovative company culture, mission, and growth journey, along with her most memorable career moments and achievements.

What excites you about working for Uber?

I have worked at Uber for over nine years, and what still excites me is the impact we are making. Our mission is to reimagine the way the world moves by making travel more efficient, more accessible, and more magical. We get the chance to make the world a better place every day - it’s a company that has forever changed the world.

From a Tax perspective, we get to build and look ahead. Since the inception of its operations, Uber has navigated through a labyrinth of challenges posed by the rapid introduction of various tax changes and legislations impacting digital companies like Uber. The dynamic tax (and regulatory) landscape has required us to be agile and resilient.

While our footprint has certainly expanded over the years, I'm just as excited about our mission as I was when I joined. I knew Uber was going to be a very cool company, even though we were very small back then (in 2015).

Uber has become such an important part of people's lives, including mine. You can really see the impact Uber is making, especially in markets like the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, where people rely on dependable transportation. When I travel, I can't imagine not using Uber and I even tell my friends and family to download the app and try it.

During one of my first trips to South Africa, I really got to see how much of an impact we're making. There was a South African driver whose gratitude for the app really touched me. Uber allowed him to drive on a part-time basis between jobs to provide for his family. He said, “When you return to the Netherlands, can you please thank the team on my behalf?” I thought, wow, I'm just part of the Finance team, not the engineering team who built the app.

What are the key drivers to success in Uber that you watch out for the most?

Assuming that people have the required technical skills to join the Tax team, I would say it's important to be curious. Ask a lot of questions and find out what drives those people coming to you with their Tax questions. The more you ask, the more knowledge you gain, helping you connect and advise better – and, of course, have fun while doing it all.

At Uber, we always say you need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. When I was hired, that was something my hiring manager told me, as growth happens when you step out of your comfort zone, embrace challenges, and face uncertainty.

Uber will definitely challenge you, and - when I look back - I realised I needed to step out of my comfort zone and take on projects outside my area of expertise, pushing me to grow. We're looking for those willing to deal with a very steep learning curve and embrace that.

Can you describe the culture at Uber?

Ambitious, fast-paced, and incredibly diverse.

Not only do we all come from different cultural backgrounds, but each of us brings different working styles and unique contributions. The Tax team alone already represents 14 nationalities, but this also applies to many other teams at Uber. I truly believe diversity is a powerful thing.

What was the most unexpected lesson you learned in your career so far?

I have many. However, the biggest lesson would be to not let fear hold me back - use it to push you forward. When I look at my life, the moments that taught me the most and shaped me as a person and a professional were those when I faced uncertainty and felt slightly nervous.

You’ll learn a lot if you push yourself into the unknown and try new things, new projects, and companies where you don’t feel entirely comfortable.

Is there a specific time that you look back on or a certain occasion that stood out as a turning point for you?

Yes, there are three moments.

First, when I was working at PwC, I did something that most people wouldn’t have considered at the time. After a few years, I told one of the partners that I really wanted to travel before I'm 30. Everyone was like, “Okay, one day…” Little did they know, that day would come much sooner than they ever imagined. So, I took unpaid leave, which was uncommon back then. People (at work and outside work) questioned my decision and wondered if there would still be a job when I returned. But I felt a strong urge to travel and decided to do it.

I went to the Antarctic, because I just woke up and thought, why not? I travelled for four months, which was a really cool experience and shaped me as a person. I got to explore all these new places and meet very exciting people.

When I got back, it was business as usual, so you should never feel insecure or worry about what your future will look like in four months. If you are confident that everything will work out, it will.

The second turning point in my life was my secondment to Turkey. I was asked if I was willing to set up a Dutch desk in Istanbul. I was the first person to go from the Netherlands. I felt uncomfortable, and although I do have a Turkish background, my Turkish is not great. However, I thought, I’m just going to do it, as I had nothing to lose; if it doesn't work out, I will return to PwC Amsterdam.

I really loved it, and it taught me a lot. You also get to build your network and understand the culture even better, including the working culture, while navigating cultural differences. When I came back from Turkey, I was a completely different person.

The third thing that changed me was joining Uber. People made me doubt it, telling me about the great future I could have at PwC, and asking if I wanted to continue focusing on the Turkish market after just returning from the secondment. But then Uber came along, and although I felt it was an uncertain time to join a small company, I knew I was just going to do it.

I know we touched on this, but is there a memorable moment or achievement that stands out for you during your career?

I would definitely say Uber’s IPO in May 2019. It was one of the largest in history.    

It was memorable for me, because we celebrated it with everyone in the office and around the globe. We felt so proud, because every team - whether you're part of the Finance team or any other team at Uber - felt like the hard work paid off and the world had noticed. I can hardly believe that Uber’s IPO was over five years ago. Time really flies, especially at Uber’s speed!    

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in Tax?

There was one particular piece of advice I received at PwC. One of the partners told me, “Don't be afraid to make mistakes, be afraid of not making any.”

I believe mistakes are a great way to learn and unlearn certain things. You gain a lot from even the silliest mistakes. I always tell people at Uber, “It's totally fine to make mistakes – just learn from them and move on. Don't let mistakes hold you back.”

What advice would you give to aspiring leaders and managers?

You're only as good as your team. Teamwork is a crucial part of any business, especially at Uber.

Are there any challenges you’ve faced or lessons you've learned when it comes to managing and leading a team?

It’s important to connect well and listen well. I’m mindful that everyone has different backgrounds, experiences, and their own working style.

You work with different types of people, and for everyone to work well together, they should be mindful that everyone works differently. That doesn’t mean that one style is better than the other one; we should be comfortable highlighting these differences and giving each other constructive feedback.

What's the secret to building a strong network?

My advice would be to make time for it. Also, don't try to impress, just be yourself.

What's your favourite quote or motto and why?

Everyone at Uber will know exactly which of our eight values I am going to pick, as it’s my favourite: Go get it. I have even included it in my email signature as a reminder to myself.

It means bringing the mindset of a champion, seeking out challenging opportunities, whether big or small, cutting through complexity, and just getting the work done. Show up with a can-do attitude, even if you feel as if the finish line is beyond reach. It’s my favourite value and I use it a lot in team meetings and emails.

For my personal life, I like the quote: “Love the life you live, live the life you love” by Bob Marley. It means love everything about your life - the ups, downs, and everything in between. Be grateful for what you have and where you are right now. This quote really relates to me.

What are the current recruitment challenges that you face?

We want to attract, hire, and retain the best and most diverse group of people in the world. In the past, I would only focus on very impressive resumes - does this person have the right experience and the skillset to join the team? But now, I focus more on finding people with the right attitudes and mindsets to take on company challenges.

If you look at our current employees, we’re here because we deeply believe in Uber's mission. That sense of purpose is what unites us, regardless of the team we are in. We also want to hire those who share this passion.

The challenge I sometimes face is navigating through the impressive resumes we receive to select the right people.

How do you separate the resumes from the people? Is there anything that you do specifically, or is it just how they come across in interviews?

We invite team members from different levels and backgrounds to a panel to conduct several rounds of interviews. I mainly focus on whether the candidate is the right fit. I look at how eager they are and how comfortable they are with not knowing what they're going to do.

For example, you could be hired for a specific region, but, in a year’s time, you could be doing something totally different. If that makes you nervous, then you probably aren’t quite the right fit. But, if that excites you, then Uber's going to be an exciting company to work for.

We sometimes invite people to come over for lunch and see the office in person, because we want people to know what they're signing up for. It's not only us assessing that person and whether they're the right fit, but that person also needs to have the same feeling: Do I want to be part of this team? Do I want to work for this hiring manager?

What does life look like for you outside the office?

I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I have two boys, so they keep me busy; most of the time I'm playing soccer and tennis or going to a playground with them.

I haven’t lost my urge to travel; in fact, my wanderlust is as strong as ever. So, whenever there’s a school break, we always try to go somewhere with the kids, allowing us to explore new places.

Thank you to Nurten for speaking to Kieran Hayes, Recruitment Consultant in our Finance & Accountancy recruitment team in the Netherlands.

Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.