Uberizing freight logistics is focus of Patterson Transportation Lecture

Lior Ron, head of Uber Freight, will discuss “Uberizing Logistics and the Future of Freight” at the 38th Annual William A. Patterson Transportation Lecture on Wednesday, May 15, at Northwestern University.

The popular event will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Lutkin Memorial Hall, 700 University Place, on the Evanston campus. Sponsored by the Northwestern University Transportation Center, the lecture is open to the public, but registration is required.

“I’m honored to deliver the Patterson Transportation Lecture this year,” Ron said. “The freight industry fuels the global economy, and transforming logistics through innovative technology can drive positive change at an international scale. I look forward to sharing my vision for the future of freight with the next generation of leaders at the Northwestern University Transportation Center.”

Ron took the helm of Uber Freight, a logistics-on-demand business unit within Uber, in late 2016. The Uber Freight platform connects shippers and trucking companies across the U.S. and Europe.

Ron began his career as chief technology officer for Israeli Army Intelligence before joining Google in 2007. There he became the product lead for Google Maps, helping to scale the business from 10 million to 1 billion users. Ron also launched products such as My Maps, Google Map Maker and Google Local. 

After Google acquired Motorola in 2011, Ron was the first Google employee recruited to transform Motorola products, launching the award-winning Moto X and Moto 360 product lines. In 2016, Ron co-founded Otto, a self-driving truck company that was later acquired by Uber. 

The Patterson Transportation Lecture features influential leaders from all facets of the transportation industry. It is supported by the Patterson Transportation Endowment, established at Northwestern in 1979 and honoring the late William A. Patterson, founder and CEO of United Airlines. 

Northwestern University Transportation Center is one of the world’s leading interdisciplinary education and research institutions, serving industry, government and the public. Founded in 1954 to make substantive and enduring contributions to the movement of materials, people, energy and information, the center stands at the forefront of transportation research and education, bringing together academic researchers, students and business affiliates in open exploration of transportation and supply chain operations.

For more information, call 847-491-7287 or visit the Transportation Center.