McDonald’s top HR exec leaves on heels of CEO firing

McDonald’s has lost another top executive.

The world’s largest restaurant  company confirmed that chief people officer David Fairhurst has left the company, effective immediately. Fairhurst joined McDonald’s in 2005, and was tapped for his current role in 2015.

His departure came the day after  McDonald’s fired its CEO, Steve Easterbrook. In a statement,  McDonald’s said that Easterbrook, who joined McDonald's in 1993 and became CEO in 2015,  “violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment involving a recent consensual relationship with an employee.”

Easterbrook, who has been credited with overhauling  McDonald’s and  making it more digitally innovative, expressed regret over the relationship in an email to employees.

“As for my departure, I engaged in a recent consensual relationship with an employee, which violated McDonald's policy," Easterbrook wrote. "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."

McDonald's  named Chris Kempcziski most recently president, McDonald's USA, as president and CEO, effective immediately. He has also been elected to the McDonald's board, 

Kempcziski joined McDonald's in 2015, overseeing global strategy, business development and innovation. In that role, he served the business units and franchisees by identifying new ideas and best practices to accelerate their growth and grow the overall value of the system.

“Chris takes the reins of this great company at a time of strong, sustained performance, and the Board has every confidence that he is the best leader to set the vision and drive the plans for the Company's continued success” said Enrique Hernandez Jr., chairman. 

“He has the right mix of skills and experience to lead us forward having run our U.S. business, where franchisees are delivering strong financial and operational results, and overseen global strategy, business development and innovation.”

McDonald’s said it has appointed Joe Erlinger, most recently president, international operated markets, as president, McDonald's USA, effective immediately. 

The company has over 38,000 locations in over 100 countries.