McDonald's Fires Its CEO Over Relationship With Employee

The world's largest fast food company has a new CEO. The McDonald's board fired previous CEO Steve Easterbrook after it came to light that he was engaged in a consensual relationship with a company employee, violating McDonald's company policy. The board then named former McDonald's USA president Chris Kempczinski to the role of CEO, noting in a statement that Easterbrook "separated from the company following the board's determination that he violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment involving a recent consensual relationship with an employee."

Easterbrook had been CEO since 2015, and saw McDonald's through a rocky financial patch in 2015, steadily growing it technological suite and upgrading its drive-thrus. USA Today reports Easterbrook wrote an email to McDonald's employees last week, stating in part: "This was a mistake. Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on."

New CEO Chris Kempczinski has led McDonald's American operations since 2015, overseeing approximately 14,000 locations in that capacity.