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Michael M. Sears
Michael M. Sears
Born	July 16, 1947 (age 77)
Nationality	American
Education	BSEE, MSEE 1969; MS, University of Missouri, Rolla, 1975
Alma mater	Purdue University
Occupation	Aerospace executive
Employer(s)	McDonnell Aircraft Corp., Boeing
Known for	Managed F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet development; Boeing tanker procurement scandal
Title	Major Mo. Army Nat. Guard, 1970-78
Criminal charge	Procurement fraud
Criminal penalty	Four months in prison; US$250,000 fine; 200 hours of community service;
Criminal status	Convicted felon
Spouse	Debra Sue Tompkins (m. 1969)
Children	2
Notes

Michael M. Sears (born July 16, 1947) is an American former Boeing executive who was fired and criminally convicted for his role in the United States Air Force tanker contract controversy.

In 1992 Sears led the successful development of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.^[2] In 1997, Sears was President of the Douglas Aircraft Company division of McDonnell Douglas. In 2003, Sears was Boeing's CFO.

Boeing terminated Sears on November 24, 2003, as the result of corruption allegations relating to the improper hiring of Darleen Druyun.^[3] For his part in the Darleen Druyun scandal, Sears was sentenced to four months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.^[2]^[4]^[5]^[6]

References

^ "Michael M. Sears" Marquis Who's Who, 2004 Gale Biography in Context. Fee via Fairfax County Public Library, accessed 2010-10-18. Document URL http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=K12-Reference&prodId=BIC2&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CK2015466199&mode=view&userGroupName=fairfax_main&jsid=01d98279cbc4b5f6ce67b3cbb97f9580 Gale Document Number: GALE|K2015466199
^ ^a ^b Wayne, Leslie (February 19, 2005). "Former Executive at Boeing Given 4-Month Prison Term". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
^ "Boeing Dismisses Two Executives for Unethical Conduct". Chicago: Boeing Company. November 24, 2003. Retrieved 2010-09-24. Boeing Executive Vice President and CFO Mike Sears has been dismissed for cause effective immediately as the result of circumstances surrounding the hiring of Darleen Druyun, a former U.S. government official. Druyun, who has been vice president and deputy general manager of Missile Defense Systems, also has been dismissed for cause. Sears was dismissed for violating company policies by communicating directly and indirectly with Druyun about future employment when she had not disqualified herself from acting in her official government capacity on matters involving Boeing. In addition, an internally initiated review found both attempted to conceal their misconduct.
^ McNulty, Paul J. (February 18, 2005). "News release - Sears sentenced" (PDF). Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-10-18. ...sentenced today by the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee, United States District Court Judge, to four months' incarceration, a fine of $250,000 and 200 hours of community service.
^ Markon, Jerry; Renae Merle (November 16, 2004). "Ex-Boeing CFO Pleads Guilty in Druyun Case". The Washington Post. p. E01. Retrieved 2010-10-15. The former chief financial officer for Boeing Co. pleaded guilty yesterday to a conflict-of-interest charge, admitting his role in the illegal hiring of an Air Force official who was overseeing military contracts involving the aerospace giant. Michael M. Sears, 57, entered his plea in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria. Sears, who was once considered a leading candidate to be Boeing's chief executive
^ "Why Boeing's Culture Breeds Turmoil". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. March 21, 2005. Archived from the original on March 13, 2005. Retrieved 2010-10-15. Former CFO Michael Sears was sentenced to four months in prison in February for his role in the illegal job negotiations with Air Force procurement officer Darleen Druyun. Insiders say the controversy was part of his attempt to amass a power base at his rivals' expense. In 2002, Druyun, an Air Force procurement czar looking to move to the private sector, was possibly the most sought-after executive-to-be in the aerospace industry. With her understanding of the Pentagon procurement process and her contacts, Boeing, and most of its rivals, tried hard to land her. James F. Albaugh, a front-runner in the Boeing CEO race and head of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, talked with her at least once under the assumption that she had recused herself from contract negotiations with Boeing, but he came up dry. It was only when Sears went back for one last try that Boeing had a deal, according to e-mail released as part of the criminal investigation of Sears and Druyun. That coup gave Sears a huge advantage over both Albaugh and Mulally. It also had the potential to expand his power base by making Druyun an ally. Sears previously declined to comment through an attorney and could not be reached for this story.