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McDonald's chief people officer leaves day after Easterbrook

November 5, 2019

In the wake of this weekend's McDonald's announcement that its former president and CEO, Steve Easterbrook, had relinquished his post, news comes that the brand's Chief People Officer David Fairhurst has also left the company, a McDonald's spokesperson said this morning. 

Easterbrook's departure was announced Sunday after what he and the company said was a "consensual relationship" with another McDonald's employee. In emails and a press releases from the company this weekend, Easterbrook acknowledged he violated company policy with his reported in-company relationship, but further details about that relationship or the parties involved have not been released. 

Time magazine reported that an SEC filing shows though Easterbrook will not receive millions of dollar in in unvested stock options after his departure, he will obtain 26 weeks of a reported salary in 2018 of $1.3 million, Time reported. He is also eligible for a prorated incentive payment for the 2019 and can take vested stock options or those that will vest within three years.