McDonald’s honchos have long partied and gotten cozy with other employees — and the burger chain’s new boss isn’t lovin’ it, a new report says.
Top Golden Arches executives used to throw back drinks with rank-and-file staff at bars and corporate conventions under ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook — who was ousted in November for having a relationship with an employee, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Internal romances are also “fairly common” at the fast-food giant despite a company policy banning managers from going out with their subordinates, the Journal reported Sunday. Weddings between couples who meet at the company have even reportedly been dubbed “McMarriages.”
But newly minted chief executive Chris Kempczinski wants to throw out the fraternizing and hard partying with yesterday’s fryer grease, according to the Journal.
“Some people perceived there was this macho, guys club,” one unnamed source told the paper. “That has now progressed to a more open leadership under Chris.”
Easterbrook and his human resources boss, David Fairhurst, would sometimes hit local watering holes with McDonald’s employees and attend happy hours at a bar on the top floor of the company’s Chicago office building, the Journal reported.
Easterbook was known to be flirty with women at the company, and Fairhurst was spotted “openly making physical contact” with an underling at an outing in 2018, according to the paper. Fairhurst stepped down on the heels of Easterbook’s firing.
Kempczinski, a 51-year-old father of two, is reportedly looking for a new human resources chief to help him clean things up at the top. He told employees at a town hall meeting after he took the helm that he would maintain high standards for his fellow executives, the Journal reported.
“I have to be able to look at every single one of my senior leadership team members and say, ‘Do I believe that they personify the values of our company?'” Kempczinski reportedly said. “And if they don’t, they’re not on the senior leadership team.”
McDonald’s shares were trading up 1.2 percent at $202.61 as of 12:15 p.m. Monday. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.