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Boeing Dismisses 2 Executives Over Misconduct in Hiring
By KENNETH N. GILPIN
Published: November 24, 2003
The Boeing Company said this morning that it had fired its chief financial officer and another executive, a former official with the United States Air Force, for unethical conduct surrounding her hiring.
Boeing said that an internal investigation revealed that the two executives — Michael Sears, the executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Darleen A. Druyun, a vice president and deputy general manager for missile defense systems at Boeing — had tried to cover up their misconduct.
Ms. Druyun, who joined Boeing in January, had a long career with the Air Force. When she left the Pentagon, she was serving as principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and management, overseeing the management of Air Force acquisition programs.
This fall, the Pentagon began an investigation into allegations that Ms. Druyon acted improperly in giving Boeing financial information about a competing bid on a $21 billion leasing contract for refueling tankers. Documents disclosed by the government showed that Ms. Druyun had told Boeing that a rival, Airbus Industrie, had submitted a bid that was $5 million to $17 million less per plane than Boeing's offer.
Boeing won the business, and the deal, which is part of the $401.3 billion defense bill that President Bush signed today, was agreed to in May.
By KENNETH N. GILPIN
Published: November 24, 2003
The Boeing Company said this morning that it had fired its chief financial officer and another executive, a former official with the United States Air Force, for unethical conduct surrounding her hiring.
Boeing said that an internal investigation revealed that the two executives — Michael Sears, the executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Darleen A. Druyun, a vice president and deputy general manager for missile defense systems at Boeing — had tried to cover up their misconduct.
Ms. Druyun, who joined Boeing in January, had a long career with the Air Force. When she left the Pentagon, she was serving as principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and management, overseeing the management of Air Force acquisition programs.
This fall, the Pentagon began an investigation into allegations that Ms. Druyon acted improperly in giving Boeing financial information about a competing bid on a $21 billion leasing contract for refueling tankers. Documents disclosed by the government showed that Ms. Druyun had told Boeing that a rival, Airbus Industrie, had submitted a bid that was $5 million to $17 million less per plane than Boeing's offer.
Boeing won the business, and the deal, which is part of the $401.3 billion defense bill that President Bush signed today, was agreed to in May.