THE GO with Javi
Javier Correoso is helping Uber navigate D.C.’s regulatory maze
By Jacob Ogles
R
ide sharing unearthed a whole new course of public policy challenges, and Javier Correoso, known to most as Javi, has helped Uber navigate that for a decade. Now, the work has led the veteran Florida consultant from Miami to Washington, D.C. Uber in January promoted Correoso to Head of Public Affairs for the company, a move that comes as President Donald Trump taxies many Florida figures into the halls of power. While he will remain Uber’s public affairs director for the South, the new role means he’s moving his family from their South Florida home to Northern Virginia. The new direction comes as Uber shifts its own attention to mapping national and even international regulatory environments. “As the company has also become more global, there have been issues that interact with our nation’s capital,” Correoso said. His personal background makes Correoso a natural choice. The former Republican Party of Miami-Dade executive director boasts a long relationship with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, serving as a senior advisor to the Miami Republican’s first U.S. Senate campaign and before that in Tallahassee on his legislative staff when Rubio served as Florida House Speaker. Correoso worked for Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign as well, and joined Uber after. But most of Correoso’s roles since have involved working with state lawmakers in major policy testing grounds like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas. That means he has connections and a
reputation among policymakers and regulators throughout the region. And much of Uber’s international work has required building relationships with economic agencies. “People assume that my ties are closest to the State Department based on my relationship with the Secretary of State, but our issues really don’t go through the Secretary of State. We’re not involved in foreign policy-making or some of those complex foreign policy decisions that the administration is making,” Correoso said. “Our interaction in terms of foreign affairs with the administration has been more so through the Commerce Departments or the Treasury Departments, or the U.S. Trade Representative. So, there have been multiple high-profile negotiations or trade negotiations that have involved American tech companies, for example. When it comes to some of those issues that impact Uber, we’ve been very closely engaged with the administration, particularly those three departments.” Uber’s work has significantly evolved during Correoso’s time with the company. He notes Uber Eats didn’t exist as a concept back in the days of negotiating local ordinances on allowing Uber pickups in cities with taxi programs. Now, food delivery constitutes half of Uber’s revenue. When it comes to domestic policy, Correoso has his own history on the Hill. In addition to Rubio, he worked with former U.S. Rep. David Rivera before making the jump to the lobby corps. For much of the year, Correoso has worked on Uber’s national and global
policy while splitting time between Florida and Washington — while keeping track of policy discussions in Atlanta, Austin, Raleigh, Tallahassee and anywhere in the South where rideshare policies are considered. “This is probably the craziest six months I’ve had since political campaigns in the early 2000s,” he said. “My hours have increased. I had to do a lot more reading. I’ve had to delegate a bit more than I’ve had to in the past. But thankfully, we’ve put a great team together that’s made it very easy.” On the workfront, life may be a little easier with Correoso’s family move to the suburbs of D.C. His wife, Amy, was hunting for the best Virginia schools for their children when he spoke with Influence. “She’s really the rockstar right now,” he said. “It’s been tough, I’m not gonna lie. It’s a big sacrifice, and not just for myself.” For the moment, the Correosos are considering this deployment to the nation’s capital as a “tour of duty.” It’s one that Correoso may not have pursued if there wasn’t a Republican administration in place, installing close allies. He imagines a world with a Democratic President Kamala Harris while Republicans control the Senate or House would not feel as welcoming. But then, Correoso also notes that rideshare policy isn’t partisan, and Uber for the last decade enjoyed, for the most part, the support of a public eager for transportation alternatives. “A lot of the issues that we’re engaged on are overwhelmingly popular with the electorate,” he said.
Fall 2025
INFLUENCE
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