There’s no doubt about the challenge ahead of McDonald’s. How do you reimagine and transform the greasiest beacon of American food on the planet into a modern restaurant chain that gives people what they want—healthier food served more efficiently? Certainly, McDonald’s has been feeling the need to change for some time. Executives there have watched same-store sales growth shrink for more than a year.
So the task ahead of CEO Steve Easterbrook is herculean—re-forging McDonald’s into a company that can compete in a much different world than the one in which it was first created. But he’s being compensated handsomely while he figures it out.
Since taking the driver’s seat at McDonald’s in 2015, his total compensation has almost doubled. According to a filing this week to the Securities and Exchange Commission (pdf, p.44), it was $15 million last year, including $9 million in stock grants and options—up from $7.9 million in 2015. It’s added incentive to play hardball in a fast-food restaurant game that has sped up, with new entrants attracting consumers with healthier options.
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