McDonald fires CEO for 'poor judgment' over consensual relationship with employee

McDonald has fired its CEO, Steve Easterbrook, citing "poor judgment" over a consensual relationship he had with an employee, the company announced on Sunday.

The American fast-food company's Board of Directors has announced that Chris Kempczinski, president of McDonald's USA, will succeed him, The Hill reported.

"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," the company said in a statement.

The company has said that the Easterbrook has "violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment involving a recent consensual relationship with an employee."

Meanwhile, Kempczinski described himself in the press release as "committed to upholding our rich heritage of serving our customers and driving value for our shareholders and other stakeholders."

"As one of the world's leading brands, McDonald's makes a difference in the lives of people every day. We have a responsibility not only to serve great food but to make it responsibly and to enrich the communities in which we operate. I am energized by this challenge and look forward to guiding McDonald's continued success," he said.

Easterbrook had been CEO of McDonald's since March 2015. He has earlier served as the company's chief brand officer and head of operations in the U.K. and northern Europe.