McDonald’s New CEO Drove Turnaround Plan Hated by Franchisees
- Chris Kempczinski takes over from ousted Steve Easterbrook
- Restaurant owners aren’t happy about costly store revamp
This article is for subscribers only.
The new chief executive officer of McDonald’s Corp. is a Harvard MBA who played a critical role in the revamp of the fast-food chain that has turned the stock into a Wall Street darling.
But what Chris Kempczinski isn’t is a guy who once flipped burgers -- and that doesn’t exactly endear him to owners of McDonald’s franchises. Already upset over bearing the burden of the costs from that makeover, they may be one of his biggest challenges as he takes over from Steve Easterbrook, who was fired as CEO on Sunday for having a consensual relationship with an employee.