Boeing sack finance chief
US plane maker Boeing sacked its finance chief Mike Sears today for hiring a US air force missile expert while she was in a position to influence contracts.
The former Air Force official, Darleen Druyun, was also fired – 10 months after she was hired as vice president and deputy general manager of Boeing’s Missile Defence Systems.
Both executives tried to cover up their misconduct, which is being investigated by the government, Boeing said.
“Compelling evidence of this misconduct by Mr Sears and Ms Druyun came to light over the last two weeks,” said chairman Phil Condit.
“Upon review of the facts, our board of directors determined that immediate dismissal of both individuals for cause was the appropriate course of action.”
The sudden dismissals follow months of controversy over a plan for the Air Force to acquire 100 Boeing 767 planes for use as midair refuelling tankers.
The Pentagon launched a formal investigation into allegations that Druyun acted improperly in giving Boeing financial information about a competing bid on the lease deal.
