Ford said Nair, 53, is leaving the company effective immediately. A replacement has not yet been named. He was forced out over allegations of "inappropriate behavior." The company didn't offer many details. Nair was named Ford's executive vice president and head of North America on June 1, 2017. Prior to that, he was Ford's head of global product development and chief technical officer. He joined the company in 1987 and worked his way up the engineering ranks. Some speculated he was on a career path to become chief executive officer of the auto giant. Nair joins numerous business leaders who have been fired or have resigned in recent months because of inappropriate behavior in the workplace.