Steve Easterbrook
Stephen James Easterbrook (born 6 August 1967) is a British business executive. From March 2015 to November 2019, he was president and chief executive of McDonald's, the American fast food company.
Steve Easterbrook | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stephen James Easterbrook 6 August 1967 Watford, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Watford Grammar School for Boys |
| Alma mater | Durham University |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Title | Former president and CEO, McDonald's |
| Term | March 2015 – November 2019 |
| Predecessor | Don Thompson |
| Successor | Chris Kempczinski |
| Children | 3 |
On 1 November 2019, the board of directors voted to dismiss Easterbrook with immediate effect, due to evidence of a relationship with a staff member, which is a violation of company policy.
Early life
Stephen James Easterbrook was born on 6 August 1967 in Watford, England.[1][2][3][4] He grew up in Watford[5][6] and was educated there at Watford Grammar School for Boys.[4] He studied natural sciences at St Chad's College, Durham University, where he played cricket with fellow student Nasser Hussain, who would later become England cricket captain.[4]
Career
After university, he trained as an accountant with Price Waterhouse.[4] Easterbrook first worked for McDonald’s in 1993 as a manager in London. In 2011 he left to become CEO of PizzaExpress and then CEO of Wagamama, two British casual dining chains, before returning to McDonald’s in 2013.[7]
On 1 March 2015, after being chief brand officer of McDonald's and its former head in the UK and northern Europe, he became the CEO of the company, succeeding Don Thompson, who stepped down on 28 January 2015.[8] For 2016, Easterbrook's total compensation almost doubled to $15.4 million.[9]
In November 2019, the McDonald's board of directors voted to remove Easterbrook as CEO, as he had violated corporate policies on personal conduct by entering into a relationship with an employee.[10] He was replaced as CEO by Chris Kempczinski, who had been president of McDonald's USA.[11]
Personal life
He is divorced[12] with three children, who visit McDonald's two or three times a month.[4] He lives in Illinois, and is a Watford FC football fan.[13]
References
- Rafferty, John P. "Steve Easterbrook". Britannica. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- "Wagamama Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- "Stephen J. Easterbrook". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- Thompson, James (10 June 2010). "Steve Easterbrook: An appetite for more growth at McDonald's UK". The Independent. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- Trotman, Andrew (28 January 2015). "McDonald's names UK-born Steve Easterbrook as new chief executive". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- Monaghan, Angela (29 January 2015). "Profile: McDonald's chief executive Steve Easterbrook". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- Giammona, Craig (28 January 2015). "McDonald's CEO Don Thompson to Step Down". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- Neate, Rupert (29 January 2015). "McDonald's chief executive steps down after sales slump". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- Haddon, Heather. "McDonald's Fires CEO Steve Easterbrook Over Relationship With Employee". WSJ.
- "McDonald's CEO steps down after relationship with employee". Evening Express. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- Duke, Simon (7 January 2018). "Steve Easterbrook: The wizard from Watford shaking up McDonald's". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- Robertson, Jamie (29 January 2015). "Steve Easterbrook's new McJob". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Don Thompson |
CEO of McDonald's 2015–2019 |
Succeeded by Chris Kempczinski |