Former European commissioner Neelie Kroes is one of eight senior advisers joining ride-hailing app Uber to deal with the many political and regulatory obstacles it faces around the world.

Kroes is currently a special envoy for startups in the Netherlands. She was previously the European commissioner for the digital agenda from 2010 to 2014, and before that the commissioner for competition. In office, she supported Uber, criticising countries like Germany that wanted to ban it, and was “outraged” by the Brussels city government’s decision to do so in 2014.

She told the Financial Times on her new appointment that going forward “Uber needs to communicate in a very different way … They have to take into account that there are still differences in culture,” adding that the firm shouldn’t think “everybody is attacking you.”

Kroes dismissed concerns that her new role may raise questions about the “revolving door” between governments and companies, although an 18-month cooling-off period required by law has passed.

“I strongly believe in such positions, so it makes sense to give advice,” she said. “I prefer a seat in such a board, to a position outside looking in.”

This is not Kroes’ only such position. US tech firm Salesforce announced last month she was joining its board of directors.

Other members joining Uber’s advisory board include Roberto Danino, former prime minister of Peru, and Melody Barnes, former head of the domestic policy council at the White House.

They will meet twice a year and will receive shares in Uber, which is valued at  $62.5 billion.

Challenges
Despite that, Uber has its fair share of issues. It is banned in Italy and Spain (although it did start a food delivery service in Spain last year).

In France, it continues to operate despite strikes and concerns over its legality, which led to the arrest of two executives last year.

The company has also seen rape allegations against drivers in Chicago and Boston.

Other countries are tightening their regulations around such apps. For instance, Indonesia now requires vehicles to have a permit from the transportation ministry, while Singapore created a new category of licences that ride-sharing drivers need to obtain.

When announcing the board, Uber said that just a few years ago California was the only US state that had a regulatory framework for ridesharing in the US. The number has since grown to more than 70 jurisdictions in the US, along with countries like Australia, Canada, India, the Philippines and Mexico.

“As ridesharing continues to grow, we look forward to the board’s candid advice and insights. Of course, Uber has a reputation for getting straight to the point (sometimes a little too quickly)  —  and we want their feedback to be equally direct,” it said.