Chris Kempczinski

Chris Kempczinski
Born	Christopher John Kempczinski 17 12, 1968
Birthplace	Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Business executive
Title	President, Chairman, and CEO, McDonald's Corporation
Known for	President, Chairman, and CEO of McDonald's Corporation
Education	Duke University (BA) Harvard Business School (MBA)
Children	2

Christopher John Kempczinski (born December 17, 1968) is an American business executive who serves as the president, chairman, and chief executive officer of McDonald's Corporation, one of the world's largest fast-food restaurant chains. Kempczinski assumed the role of CEO in November 2019, succeeding Steve Easterbrook, who was dismissed from the position after violating company policy by engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee. Before ascending to the top position, Kempczinski had served as president of McDonald's USA, the division responsible for the company's approximately 14,000 domestic restaurants. His path to the helm of McDonald's came after a career that included executive roles at consumer goods giants Procter & Gamble and Kraft Foods, giving him broad experience in brand management, marketing, and consumer-facing businesses. His tenure as CEO has been marked by efforts to modernize McDonald's operations, navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and steer the company through evolving consumer trends including the rise of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications and shifting dietary preferences.

Early Life

Christopher John Kempczinski was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1968. He grew up in the Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan area, where he attended Indian Hill High School in the affluent suburb of Indian Hill, Ohio. His father, Richard Kempczinski, was a business executive who worked in the Cincinnati area.

Kempczinski's upbringing in the Cincinnati region placed him in proximity to several major consumer goods companies, including Procter & Gamble, which is headquartered there. This geographic connection would later prove consequential in his career, as he would go on to work at Procter & Gamble early in his professional life. His background in the Midwest and his education at Indian Hill High School—a school known for producing graduates who enter business and professional fields—provided an early foundation for his eventual career in corporate leadership.

In later years, Kempczinski has spoken publicly about his views on career development and personal responsibility, themes that he has traced to his own formative experiences. In a series of public remarks and social media appearances in late 2025 and early 2026, he shared blunt advice drawn from his own career trajectory, stating that individuals must take ownership of their professional paths. "Nobody cares about your career," Kempczinski said, urging young professionals to proactively pursue opportunities rather than wait for recognition.

Education

Kempczinski earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University, where he studied as an undergraduate. He subsequently attended Harvard Business School, where he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

His education at two of the United States' most prominent universities provided Kempczinski with a strong academic foundation in both the liberal arts and business management. The combination of a Duke undergraduate degree and a Harvard MBA is a pathway shared by numerous corporate executives in the consumer goods and food service industries.

Career

Early Career at Procter & Gamble and Kraft

Before joining McDonald's, Kempczinski built his career in the consumer packaged goods industry. He held positions at Procter & Gamble, the Cincinnati-based multinational consumer goods corporation, where he gained experience in brand management and marketing. His time at Procter & Gamble provided him with a grounding in how large consumer-facing companies develop, market, and distribute products on a global scale.

Kempczinski also served in executive roles at Kraft Foods, another major consumer goods company. At Kraft, he held several leadership positions, further broadening his experience in food industry operations and brand strategy. His work at both Procter & Gamble and Kraft placed him squarely in the consumer products sector that would eventually lead him to McDonald's, where the skills of brand management, consumer insight, and operational efficiency are central to the business model.

Joining McDonald's

Kempczinski joined McDonald's Corporation in 2015. His arrival at the company came during a period of significant transformation under then-CEO Steve Easterbrook, who was undertaking a turnaround plan aimed at reversing declining sales and revitalizing the brand. Kempczinski initially served in a strategy role before being elevated to the position of president of McDonald's USA, the company's largest and most important market segment, which encompasses approximately 14,000 restaurants across the United States.

As president of McDonald's USA, Kempczinski oversaw several key initiatives, including the national rollout of the company's mobile ordering and delivery services, menu simplification efforts, and restaurant modernization programs. These operational changes were part of a broader corporate strategy to make McDonald's more competitive in an increasingly digital fast-food marketplace.

Appointment as CEO

On November 3, 2019, McDonald's Corporation announced that Steve Easterbrook had been terminated as CEO after the board of directors determined that he had engaged in a consensual relationship with an employee, which violated company policy. The board named Kempczinski as Easterbrook's successor, effective immediately. The transition marked a significant moment for McDonald's, as the company sought to move past the controversy surrounding Easterbrook's departure while maintaining the momentum of its turnaround strategy.

Kempczinski's appointment was seen as a signal that McDonald's intended to continue many of the operational and strategic initiatives that had been put in place during the Easterbrook era, while also establishing a new leadership culture. In a January 2020 profile, The Wall Street Journal reported on Kempczinski's efforts to move McDonald's beyond what it described as the "party culture" that had characterized parts of the company's corporate environment under previous leadership. Under Kempczinski, the company signaled a renewed emphasis on corporate values, ethics, and a more disciplined workplace environment.

Tenure as CEO

Kempczinski's tenure as CEO has encompassed several major challenges and strategic priorities for McDonald's. Shortly after assuming the role, the global COVID-19 pandemic forced widespread restaurant closures and disrupted the food service industry. Kempczinski led the company's response, which included accelerating the expansion of drive-through, delivery, and digital ordering capabilities—channels that became essential as dine-in service was restricted in many markets.

Throughout his leadership, Kempczinski has focused on what McDonald's has described as its "Accelerating the Arches" growth strategy, which emphasizes maximizing marketing, committing to core menu items, and doubling down on the "three D's" of digital, delivery, and drive-through.

In 2026, Kempczinski addressed the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs—such as Ozempic and Wegovy—on consumer eating habits and McDonald's menu strategy. Speaking publicly on the topic, he highlighted McDonald's existing "protein-forward" menu offerings while acknowledging that the company was exploring ways to adapt to changing dietary patterns among consumers using these medications. In January 2026, Kempczinski also identified three food trends he believed would define the year: increased consumer interest in fiber, the popularity of sweet and spicy flavor combinations, and innovation in beverages.

Board Service

In addition to his role at McDonald's, Kempczinski has served on the boards of other organizations. He was appointed to the board of directors of Procter & Gamble, his former employer, in 2021. He has also served on the board of trustees of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), the charitable organization closely affiliated with McDonald's Corporation that provides housing and support for families of hospitalized children.

At McDonald's itself, Kempczinski serves as chairman of the board of directors in addition to his roles as president and CEO, giving him oversight of both the company's executive operations and corporate governance.

Personal Life

Kempczinski has two children. He maintains a relatively private personal life compared to some of his peers in the corporate world, though he has become increasingly visible on social media and in public forums offering career advice.

In late 2025 and early 2026, Kempczinski attracted widespread attention for a series of public remarks about career development. In viral social media content and interviews, he delivered blunt advice directed at young professionals, particularly members of Generation Z. "Nobody cares about your career," Kempczinski stated, urging workers to stop expecting an "employment deal" and instead take full ownership of their professional trajectories. He encouraged young people to say yes to opportunities, even unglamorous ones, characterizing his own path as moving "from dishwasher to C-suite." These comments sparked significant public discussion, with Fortune, Business Insider, and other media outlets covering his remarks and the reactions they generated.

Text Message Controversy

In November 2021, Kempczinski faced public criticism after text messages he had exchanged with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot were obtained and published. In the messages, sent in the context of two separate incidents in which children in Chicago were fatally shot, Kempczinski appeared to place blame on the parents of the victims. The texts drew sharp condemnation from community activists, labor organizers, and McDonald's workers, who described the comments as insensitive and reflective of a disconnection from the realities faced by families in Chicago's communities.

Kempczinski subsequently issued a public apology. In a letter to McDonald's employees, he acknowledged that his comments were "wrong" and expressed regret for the pain they caused. The Wall Street Journal reported on the apology and the broader fallout from the incident. The controversy highlighted the scrutiny faced by corporate leaders when their private communications become public, particularly on sensitive social issues.

Recognition

Kempczinski has been recognized within the business community for his leadership of one of the world's largest and most prominent restaurant companies. His appointment to the Procter & Gamble board of directors in 2021 reflected his standing among corporate leaders, as P&G is one of the largest consumer goods companies globally and its board positions are held by prominent business figures.

As chairman, president, and CEO of McDonald's, Kempczinski leads a company with over 40,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries, making him one of the most prominent executives in the global food service industry. His public commentary on food trends, consumer behavior, and career development has drawn regular coverage from major business media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Insider, and Reuters.

His service on the board of trustees of Ronald McDonald House Charities reflects his role in the philanthropic activities associated with the McDonald's brand.

Legacy

As an active CEO, Kempczinski's long-term legacy remains to be determined. However, several elements of his tenure have already defined his period of leadership at McDonald's. His appointment came at a pivotal moment for the company—replacing a CEO who had been fired for a policy violation—and Kempczinski was tasked with restoring a culture of discipline and accountability at the corporate level.

His emphasis on digital transformation, delivery, and drive-through operations positioned McDonald's to weather the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and align with long-term shifts in consumer behavior toward convenience and technology-enabled ordering. The "Accelerating the Arches" strategy that he has championed represents an effort to maintain McDonald's relevance in a fast-food landscape that has become increasingly competitive, with new entrants and changing consumer expectations.

Kempczinski's response to the rise of GLP-1 medications and changing dietary trends in 2025 and 2026 has positioned him as a CEO willing to adapt the McDonald's menu to evolving health and nutrition landscapes, while defending the company's existing strengths in protein-based offerings. His public remarks on career development, particularly his widely circulated advice to young workers, have also contributed to his public profile beyond the confines of the fast-food industry, generating discussion about the evolving relationship between employers and employees in the modern workforce.

The text message controversy of 2021 marked a significant challenge to his leadership, testing his ability to respond to public criticism and maintain relationships with the communities in which McDonald's operates. His public apology and subsequent handling of the situation became part of the broader narrative of his CEO tenure.