By AP/KWMU
Chicago, Ill. – Boeing's President and CEO, Harry Stonecipher, has been forced to resign.
The request came after a company investigation into a personal relationship he had with a female executive there. Boeing says it was a consensual relationship that violated the company's code of conduct, but it had no effect on the business operations.
Boeing's chief financial officer, James Bell, has been named interim president and CEO.
Stonecipher was President and CEO of St. Louis-based McDonnell-Douglas in the 90s until it merged with Boeing.
Boeing is the region's second biggest employer with more than 15,000 workers.
A Boeing spokesman says the female executive didn't report directly to Stonecipher and remains with the company. The spokesman declined to provide further details.
Lew Platt, the chairman of Boeing's Board, said in a conference call with reporters and analysts that Stonecipher violated the following provision of Boeing's Code of Conduct: "Employees will not engage in conduct or activity that may raise questions as to company's honestly, impartiality, reputation or otherwise cause embarrassment to the company."