Forward Air fired President and COO Chris Ruble on Friday, the company announced in a securities filing.
The LTL carrier described the executive’s departure as a “termination without cause” in the filing.
It did not say who would replace Ruble as president or COO.
Ruble, Forward Air’s COO since 2018, was promoted to president after former Chairman, President and CEO Tom Schmitt was ousted following the carrier’s costly merger with Omni Logistics.
Ruble had worked for Forward Air since 1996, when he was hired as a terminal manager. His departure is the latest shakeup for the carrier amid pressure by activist investors to sell the Greeneville, Tennessee-based company.
The latest executive change follows other C-suite separations that also included Forward Air’s former CFO. New CEO Shawn Stewart has welcomed several of his former CEVA Logistics colleagues with him into the carrier’s leadership ranks.
Forward Air has so far rebuffed the push to sell the company, but it is reviewing its “non-core” assets, new CFO Jamie Pierson said in August.
Ruble’s involuntary termination qualifies him for severance and health care assistance payments, plus up to $20,000 in outplacement services and another $100,000 paid in installments.
He previously signed an 18-month non-compete deal and agreements prohibiting solicitation of Forward Air employees and customers.
