Stephen James Easterbrook (born August 1967) is a British executive. On March 1, 2015, after previously serving as Chief Brand Officer of McDonald’s and as the company’s head in the UK and Northern Europe, he became CEO of McDonald’s, succeeding Don Thompson, who resigned on January 28, 2015.
He was raised in Watford and educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys. He studied Natural Sciences at St. Chad’s College, Durham University, where he also played cricket alongside his classmate Nasser Hussain, the former captain of the England cricket team.
After university, he trained as an accountant at Price Waterhouse. Easterbrook first joined McDonald’s in 1993 as a manager in London. In 2011, he left the company to become CEO of PizzaExpress and later CEO of Wagamama, two popular UK casual dining chains, before returning to McDonald’s in 2013.
Even from a young age, he was a fan of McDonald’s. He told The Guardian in 2008: “A friend and I used to cross the park to get to Harrow. There was a sports store we always went into, and there was a McDonald’s. We’d go with three or four pounds in our pocket. That would cover our train fare, wandering around Harrow, and a meal at McDonald’s. It was the first time I ever tried a milkshake and fries.”
He is married and has three children, who visit McDonald’s two to three times a month. He lives in Illinois and is a supporter of Watford FC.