McDonald’s fired its CEO over a consensual relationship with an employee, the burger chain announced on Sunday, according to the Financial Times.

In a statement, the company said that Steve Easterbrook, who has been chief executive since 2015, “violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment” regarding the relationship, which is prohibited by company policy.

Easterbrook, who is divorced, wrote in an email to McDonald’s staff that the relationship “was a mistake. Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on. Beyond this, I hope you can respect my desire to maintain my privacy.”

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The British Easterbrook joined McDonald’s in 1993 in London and has served as financial reporting manager, global chief brand officer, president of McDonald’s Europe, and CEO of McDonald’s U.K, according to Yahoo Finance.

The company tapped McDonald’s USA president Chris Kempczinski to be the new CEO.

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[Featured image: Steve Easterbrook September 2019/AP]