Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Johnson Controls Fires Consultant After Affair With CEO (JCI)

One of our bête noires.
The company, not the consultant.
Don't know the consultant.
From Bloomberg:
Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) fired a consulting firm after learning that one of its principals had an extramarital affair with Chief Executive Officer Alex Molinaroli.

Molinaroli, 55, told his family about his affair with Kristin Ihle, a 45-year-old psychologist, in late May, according to the transcript of a court hearing at which Ihle unsuccessfully sought a restraining order against the CEO’s estranged wife. Ihle’s Milwaukee company, which helps businesses with leader development and succession planning, had been working with auto supplier Johnson Controls for years, according the consulting firm’s website.

“The board reviewed the referenced relationship and determined that no conflicts of interest occurred,” Fraser Engerman, a Johnson Controls spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement. “To avoid any perception or potential future conflicts, management elected to terminate the consulting firm. Mr. Molinaroli continues in his role with full support of the board, and the company considers this matter to be closed.”...MORE
The fact that Molinaroli would do this and/or the fact the board didn't fire his ass may explain why the company always seems to show promise and never quite delivers:
Chart forJohnson Controls Inc. (JCI)
To quote Warren Buffett:
“Now I’m known as a long-term investor and a patient guy, but that is not my idea of a big move.”