Lyft COO Exits, Says Controversial NYC Launch Isn't the Reason The COO of Lyft is leaving the company, taking his entire operations staff with him.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A major Lyft executive is losing his pink mustache.

Lyft Chief Operating Officer Travis VanderZanden is leaving after 18 months with the San Francisco-based company, according to Erin Simpson, the director of communications at Lyft.

"Travis joined the Lyft team as part of the Cherry acquisition to help scale our operations. We've talked about the future and all agree that Travis will move on as we move forward into the company's next chapter of growth," said Simpson. "We appreciate everything he's done here, and wish him the best in his next adventure."

Related: Wait For Perfect or Charge Forward? Lessons From Lyft's Controversial NYC Launch.

The parting sounds amicable enough according to Lyft, but Kara Swisher, who first reported that VanderZanden was hitting the road for ReCode, said the COO was clashing with founders Logan Green and John Zimmer.

Swisher's report is not surprising. It's probably been tense in the Lyft boardrooms of late.

After launching in San Francisco, Lyft spread quickly throughout small cities throughout the U.S. When Lyft attempted to launch in New York City this summer, however, the startup was pulled to a halt by city regulators.

Related: Finland's Capital Wants to Do Away With Car Ownership

Since then, Lyft agreed to utilize only drivers licensed by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. In other cities, Lyft users hitch rides from unprofessional drivers.

VanderZanden insists his departure has nothing to do with Lyft's New York City rollout.

VanderZanden isn't leaving the pink mustached fleet alone. "Excited to have worked with the @lyft team, but myself and the entire Cherry/Yammer team resigned last week to pursue other opportunities," the tweet says.

Lyft bought Cherry in March of 2013, acqui-hiring the entire operations team as it headed into an intensely aggressive expansion phase. Before launching car-wash ordering company Cherry.com, VanderZanden was the was the first business employee and chief revenue officer at social network Yammer.com.

Related: Lyft's NYC Launch Party Goes Off Without a Hitch. The Launch? Not So Much.

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

Why The Wisest Leaders Listen First Before They Act

If talking isn't getting you ahead, try listening instead. The advantages of truly hearing others are as transformational in business as they are in our personal lives.

Side Hustle

This 31-Year-Old Spends 2 Hours Per Week On His $3,000-a-Month Passive Income Side Hustle: 'Trust Your Vision'

Hansel Moore's home office "wasn't cutting it" — so he found another place to be creative.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.