The global chief executive of McDonald 's , Steve Easterbrook , has been fired after he engaged in a romantic relationship with another employee in breach of the company 's rules . Easterbrook said the relationship was consensual but disagreed with the board 's statement that it demonstrated poor judgement . Easterbrook had been CEO since 2015 and had overseen a turnaround at the business , with shares nearly doubling in value during his tenure . He will be replaced by Chris Kempczinski . Easterbrook 's departure reflects an intensified scrutiny of executives ' relationships with employees following the # MeToo movement .
The global chief executive of McDonald's, Steve Easterbrook, has been sacked after he engaged in a romantic relationship with another employee in breach of the company's rules. Easterbrook said the relationship was consensual but agreed with the board's finding that it demonstrated poor judgement. Easterbrook had been CEO since 2015 and had overseen a turnaround at the business, with shares nearly doubling in value during his tenure. He will be replaced by Chris Kempczinski. Easterbrook's departure reflects an intensified scrutiny of executives' relationships with employees following the #MeToo movement.