McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook Fired After Engaging in Relationship With Employee: Company

Steve Easterbrook, the CEO of McDonalds, was fired by the firm after having a relationship with an employee, violating company policy, the chain confirmed on Sunday.

The board of McDonalds named Chris Kempczinski, the former president of McDonalds USA, as the companys replacement president and CEO.

“I engaged in a recent consensual relationship with an employee, which violated McDonalds 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,” Easterbrook, who became the chief executive in March, said in an email, according to reports.

And the firm said that he “violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment involving a recent consensual relationship with an employee,” reported the Financial Times.

The nature of the relationship was not disclosed.

Steve Easterbrook, chief executive officer of McDonalds, attends the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 10, 2019. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Chris Kempczinski, president of McDonalds USA, speaks at the unveiling of McDonalds new corporate headquarters during a grand opening ceremony in Chicago, Ill., on June 4, 2018. The company headquarters is returning to the city, which it left in 1971, from suburban Oak Brook. Approximately 2,000 people will work from the building. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In the statement, Kempczinski gave thanks to Easterbrook for his contributions and called him patient and helpful, The Associated Press reported.

Joe Erlinger, president of the international operated markets, will now be named head of McDonalds USA, Yahoo News reported.

Easterbrook, who is from the United Kingdom, became the Chicago-based companys CEO in 2015 and has been credited with helping the company initiate a major turnaround over the past several years.

The move comes a few months after McDonalds was accused in 25 new lawsuits and regulatory charges of condoning sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliating against employees who speak up, Reuters reported.

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