The McDonald’s Court Decision & C-Suite Accountability

What happened
In a recent Bloomberg law article, “McDonald’s Corp.’s former chief people officer, who was fired for sexual harassment, must face claims that he spent years ignoring red flags about its toxic workplace culture, a Delaware judge ruled recently.”

Why this matters
This novel Delaware Chancery Court ruling means that corporate officers can be held accountable by shareholders. This is new territory for the HR and Legal landscape because it:

• Sheds some new light on oversight liability
• Raises questions over how far the line of duty extends (it’s not just C-suite!)

What you need to know
We kicked off this webinar with attorney William Dugan unpacking this court decision and sharing the potential paths it could lead to. Then a CEO and Head of People really dig into this and what this means for their roles. They shared their perspectives on:

• Should only the CEO be held liable?
• The relationship between a CEO and HR
• Actionable tips you can walk away with

Speaker: William Dugan
Bio: Attorney and partner at Baker McKenzie’s Employment & Compensation Practice Group. He has over 25 years of experience representing management in complex litigation in federal and state courts and other tribunals throughout the United States.

Speaker: Melanie Naranjo
Bio: Melanie Naranjo is the VP of People at Ethena, a modern compliance training provider for today’s teams. With 8 years of experience in the HR and People space, she’s been interviewed by HR Brew, FastCompany, TroopHR, and more for her unique insights.

Moderator: Roxanne Petraeus
Bio: Roxanne Petraeus is the CEO and co-founder of Ethena. She is a former army combat veteran, McKinsey consultant, and Rhodes Scholar, and holds degrees from Harvard College and Oxford University.

Duration: 57 minutes

Resources:

• Speak the CEO’s language: 4 steps HR leaders can take to advocate for culture change
• 6 Key Steps for Businesses as Delaware Expands Fiduciary Liability for Corporate Officers