McDonald’s has sacked CEO Steve Easterbrook because of a consensual relationship he had with an employee against company policy.
Easterbrook had been serving as CEO since January 2015. Taking over from Easterbrook is Chris Kempczinski, who has been promoted to president and CEO.
In an email to other McDonald’s staff, Easterbrook expressed his regret. “I engaged in a recent consensual relationship with an employee, which violated McDonald’s policy. This was a mistake. Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on. Beyond this, I hope you can respect my desire to maintain my privacy,” said Easterbrook.
Kempczinski has been with McDonald’s since 2015, where he had initially been hired to oversee global strategy, business development and innovation.
“I am committed to upholding our rich heritage of serving our customers and driving value for our shareholders and other stakeholders,” said Kempczinski.
