McDonald’s Governance: Fault and Fall from Favor

Published in Les Echos
(France) on 4 November 2019
by Les Echos (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Emma Collingwood. Edited by Laurence Bouvard.
Wall Street will miss McDonald’s boss, but it won’t regret his departure.

A $4 billion error of judgement—that’s pretty hefty. The bill refers to McDonald’s market capitalization (-2.95%) following the announcement of the CEO’s departure for having had a consensual relationship with an employee. (No further details about the person have been divulged.)

Steve Easterbrook had not proved himself unworthy in terms of the stock market since taking on the role in 2015, compared to other fast food representatives or the general benchmark. And while he hasn’t managed to increase the number of customers in his restaurants or dress up his menus with vegetarian burgers, it’s not sure that his successor, Chris Kempczinski, until now the president of McDonald’s U.S., will have an easier task.

With a resumé in mass consumption as long as his arm (P&G, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods), and his good work in tandem with his outgoing predecessor and mentor, Kempczinksi has what it takes to reassure Wall Street. But in all honesty, reinvigorating the Chicago giant was more than they could take on by themselves.

It’s all very well for commentators to point out that the same romantic affair wouldn’t necessarily have had the same consequences in other countries. But even if Wall Street misses the outgoing boss, they won’t lament his departure, given the legal and reputational risks associated with inappropriate behavior on the other side of the Atlantic. The mistake’s impact on stock market history would have been even worse.


McDonald's/Gouvernance : Erreur et défaveur
Wall Street regrettera le patron de McDonald's, mais pas son départ.
Par Les Echos
Publié le 4 nov. 2019 à 19h03
Mis à jour le 4 nov. 2019 à 19h19
Une erreur de jugement à 4 milliards de dollars, cela fait quand même beaucoup. La facture correspond à la capitalisation envolée (-2,95 %) chez McDonald's après l'annonce du départ du directeur général remercié pour avoir entretenu une liaison consentie avec un ou une salariée (aucun détail n'a été divulgué). Steve Easterbrook, n'avait pas démérité boursièrement parlant, depuis sa prise de fonction en 2015 par rapport aux autres représentants des « fast food » ou par rapport au benchmarck général. Et s'il n'a pas réussi à vivifier le trafic dans ses restaurants ou à enjoliver assez ses menus avec des burgers végétariens, il n'est pas certain que son successeur Chris Kempczinski, jusqu'à présent chargé des Etats-Unis, aura la tâche plus facile. Son CV long comme un bras dans la grande consommation (P & G, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods) et son bon travail en tandem avec le partant, son mentor, ont tout pour rassurer Wall Street. Mais justement, pour vivifier le géant de Chicago, ils n'étaient pas trop de deux. Les commentateurs ont beau jeu de souligner que la même affaire n'aurait pas forcément eu les mêmes conséquences dans d'autre pays. Mais si Wall Street regrette le patron sortant, il ne peut se lamenter de son départ vu les risques juridiques et de réputation associés, outre -Atlantique, avec les comportements inappropriés. L'erreur en défaveur de l'histoire boursière serait encore pire.
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