Raj Nair, executive vice president and president of North American operations for Ford Motor Co., left the company effective immediately this week after an internal investigation into reports of "inappropriate behavior."
Jim Hackett, Ford's president and CEO, said in a statement that the review determined certain behavior by Nair was inconsistent with the company’s code of conduct. Nair’s replacement will be subject to an announcement in the near future, the OEM added.
"We made this decision after a thorough review and careful consideration," Hackett noted. "Ford is deeply committed to providing and nurturing a safe and respectful culture, and we expect our leaders to fully uphold these values."
"I sincerely regret that there have been instances where I have not exhibited leadership behaviors consistent with the principles that the company and I have always espoused," Nair noted in a statement. "I continue to have the utmost faith in the people of Ford and wish them continued success in the future."
Nair had been president of Ford's North American operations since June 1 last year. Prior to that, he served as Ford’s head of global product development and chief technical officer, winning praise for his product design leadership.
"Raj has done an outstanding job leading our team in delivering product excellence with passion," noted former Ford president and CEO Mark Fields, prior to his retirement back in May. "As we expand our global lineup even further, Raj's leadership will enable us to develop innovative new products and technologies that deliver our core business while also focusing on emerging opportunities, including those in our Ford Smart Mobility plan."
