Ford executive said to leave over accusations of inappropriate conduct

Pradeep Gaur | Mint | Hindustan Times | Getty Images

Ford global director of program management Prakash Patel at a launch of a Ford Mustang on January 28, 2016 in New Delhi, India. 

A high-profile executive at Ford has reportedly left the company over accusations of inappropriate behavior, according to an article in Automotive News on Monday that cited an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation.

Ford spokesman Dan Barbossa confirmed that the global director of program management, Prakash Patel, has left the automaker. He declined to comment on the Automotive News article, saying the company doesn’t comment on personnel issues.

Automotive News reported that Patel was fired for acting inappropriately, though it didn’t detail what happened.

Patel, who was the former program lead for the 50th anniversary Mustang, was not immediately available for comment.

In his most recent role, Patel oversaw a group of 1,200 employees that managed about $500 million in “engineering and expense spend for major programs including all launch related activities,” according to his LinkedIn profile. During his nearly ten-year career at Ford, Patel also worked in business development for Ford Performance, which included working on the Ford GT, Ford Raptor, Focus RS, Mustang Shelby GT350 and other vehicles.

He had also held roles at Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln and had led project planning for the 50th anniversary Global Mustang.

Patel is the second high-ranking Ford employee to leave the company in the last year under such circumstances. In February, Ford’s North American President Raj Nair left the automaker, following an investigation into “inappropriate behavior.”

Nair has since been hired as President and COO of Multimatic, a Canadian company that makes auto parts and builds the Ford GT, a much-admired supercar that competes with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, and others.