Ford Motor Company on Wednesday fired the head of its North America operations for what it termed “inappropriate behaviour”. The company said an internal inquiry found that Raj Nair had engaged in behaviour that was “inconsistent with the company’s code of conduct”.

“We made this decision after a thorough review and careful consideration,” Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett said in a statement. “Ford is deeply committed to providing and nurturing a safe and respectful culture and we expect our leaders to fully uphold those values.” Ford, however, did not specify what the allegations against Nair were.

Nair apologised but did not elaborate. “I sincerely regret that there have been instances where I have not exhibited leadership behaviours consistent with the principles that the company and I have always espoused,” Nair was quoted as saying in Ford’s statement.

In 2017, women at Ford’s Chicago plant told The New York Times they faced sexual harassment and alleged that no action was taken on their complaints. Following the report, Hackett wrote a letter to the employees saying, “Our promise is there will be no retaliation against anyone who speaks up, and no one is above the rules, no matter where they are in the hierarchy. This is absolute.”

Nair has been with Ford for more than 30 years. He was head of global product development and served as chief technical officer. He was appointed the head of Ford’s operation in North America in May 2017. The company has not yet named Nair’s replacement.