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Ford Executive Fired Over “Inappropriate Behavior”

Remember Raj Nair? He was always a top lad in interviews, even giving information regarding future products such as the Mustang Hybrid. But back in February 2018, the executive vice president and president of Ford North America was fired over “inappropriate behavior” that the company never quite made public.
Ford Mustang 10 photos
Photo: Ford
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Fast-forward to August 2018, and another high-profile employee has been sacked over – you’ve guessed it – inappropriate behavior. Prakash Patel, the global director of program management and lead product planner of the 50th anniversary Mustang, is now out of the Ford Motor Company after an internal investigation and careful consideration.

Just like Nair, the Dearborn-based automaker has a policy of not commenting on what triggered his firing. Citing “a source with knowledge of the situation,” Automotive News reports that “acting inappropriately” is what got Patel sacked. Then again, no exact information has been offered in this regard.

Be it something that has to do with the #MeToo movement started by the sexual misconducts of Harvey Weinstein or an issue even more disturbing than that, providing a safe and respectful culture within the workforce is top priority for the Ford Motor Company. Personnel matters are nothing to scoff at, more so if you consider the high-ranking position of Patel.

While at Ford, Patel was supervised by Nair for a period of time. And as global director of program management, the official has control over more than 1,200 employees around the world, handling “more than $500 million worth of engineering and expense spending for major programs.”

After joining Ford in 2009, Patel entered the spotlight in 2014 with the 50th anniversary of America’s original pony car. At the time, the automaker profiled the executive as being “the chef who seasons the Mustang recipe,” whatever that sort of PR talk actually means.

But wait, there's more coming from the same press release! “While Patel’s approach to his job is analytical, he understands that even a perfectly cooked meal won’t be appealing if the flavor is too bland.” Oh dear, please tell Ford that the Mustang and cooking jargon don't go together.

Before starting his most recent role in January 2017, Patel was appointed strategy manager for the Lincoln luxury division. Whoever is doing the job now, please tell Matthew McConaughey to act better or change the brand ambassador altogether. He's been doing it for a long time now; no wonder Matthew has gotten bored.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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