Lyft Welcomes Deborah Hersman to Board of Directors

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01/27/2026 - 04:10 PM

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Lyft, Inc. (Nasdaq: LYFT) announced that Deborah Hersman has joined Lyft’s Board of Directors, effective January 25, 2026. She has also been appointed as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board.

Lyft Welcomes Deborah Hersman to Board of Directors

“Debbie is a powerhouse trifecta for Lyft, with strengths in autonomous vehicle strategy, public company governance, and a world-class background in safety and regulation,” said Lyft CEO David Risher. “I am absolutely thrilled to welcome her to the board.”

“I've always admired Lyft and right now, the company and rideshare industry are at an exciting crossroads,” said Debbie Hersman. "As someone who has dedicated my career to shaping policy around transportation safety, I am honored to support Lyft as they continue to scale with drivers and AVs to serve riders in the U.S. and around the world."

Hersman has over three decades of leadership in transportation safety, which will be an incredible asset to guide Lyft in 2026 and beyond. She served as the first Chief Safety Officer and Advisor at Waymo. Prior to that, she served as President and CEO of the National Safety Council, a nonprofit organization focused on workplace and roadway safety advocacy. She also served as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board from 2004 to 2014, then as Chair of the Board from 2009 to 2014. These experiences, paired with her early role at Waymo shaping the AV industry, bolster our Board’s breadth of expertise in an area foundational to rideshare: safety.

Since 2023, Hersman has served on the Board of Directors of ONE Gas, and will become Chair in May 2026. She has also served on the Board of NiSource, an electric and gas utility company, since 2019. Previously, she served as a member of the Board of Directors of Velodyne, a lidar technology company.

She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Virginia Tech, and a M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University.

Hersman resides in the Washington D.C. area and loves taking a Lyft between meetings. She has three grown sons who need lots of legroom, so whenever the family of five travels together, a Lyft XL is their chosen ride.