Quick exit is the result of an internal investigation at his former employer
Moderna Inc. has announced that chief financial officer Jorge Gomez has left the COVID-19 vaccine maker after just one day following an internal investigation at his former employer.
Dentsply Sirona Inc., a dental equipment manufacturer, has disclosed an internal investigation of financial reporting matters, Bloomberg reported. On Tuesday, Dentsply said that its audit and finance committee is investigating allegations around the company’s use of incentives to sell products to distributors and other actions to achieve executive compensation targets.
Moderna said it learned about the probe through Dentsply’s regulatory filing. Gomez was Dentsply’s CFO for almost three years.
Read more: Don’t lose your job over a social media post
“The investigation is ongoing, and the company cannot predict the duration or outcome of the investigation,” said the filing. “As a result, the company has not yet finalized its financial statements or its assessment of the impact of the investigation on its historical financial statements or for the financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and is therefore unable to file the Form 10-Q on a timely basis.”
David Meline, Moderna’s recently retired finance chief, will serve in the role while the company searches for a new CFO, MarketWatch reported. Moderna hired Gomez in April, with CEO Stephane Bancel citing his passion for sustainability that aligned with the company’s vision of corporate responsibility as a key part of its mission.
Although Gomez will still receive a year’s salary totaling $700,000, he’ll forfeit his signing bonus and bonus eligibility, Moderna said.
While Gomez has probably set the record for quickest departure by a member of the C-suite, several business leaders have left their employers in high-profile incidents this year.
Patrick McCallum, a lobbyist hired to secure a state loan to help victims of California wildfires, left his position last month amid a sexual harassment scandal. In March, Ralph Lauren announced the resignation of Howard Smith, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at the company. The New York City-based fashion giant said it learned of allegations regarding his personal conduct, and upon doing so, the audit committee of the board of directors launched an independent investigation with the assistance of outside counsel, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to the company, the investigation revealed conduct that violated Ralph Lauren’s code of business conduct, ethics and other policies. Specifics were not disclosed. However, Ralph Lauren emphasized in filing that the resignation is unrelated to its financial reporting and business performance.
Don’t forget John Demsey, veteran executive at Estee Lauder, who was forced to leave the beauty products manufacturer over a social media post that included a racial slur and a reference to COVID-19. Demsey, who served as executive group president and oversaw brands such as Clinique and Mac, reposted a meme, which included the slur on a mock children’s book cover featuring Sesame Street characters, on his Instagram.
