Chris Kempczinski said that the fast food giant was negatively affected in the Middle East markets and beyond after calls to boycott the chain.
This came after McDonald's announced, after the start of the war in Gaza, that it had donated thousands of free meals to the Israeli army forces.
The move sparked angry reactions from critics of Israel's military action in Gaza, including calls from some for a consumer boycott of the chain.
McDonald's branches in several countries also issued statements distancing themselves from this step, while many of them pledged to provide aid to Gaza.
Sources at the company's US headquarters were keen to stay away from the controversy by stressing that its franchises are independent companies licensed under the McDonald's brand.
On LinkedIn, on Thursday, Kempczynski blamed the war and “related misinformation,” saying: “We hate violence of any kind, stand firm against hate speech, and will always proudly open our doors to everyone.”
Kempczinski did not go into details about how the company was affected.
However, McDonald's Malaysia last month blamed a boycott by pro-Palestinian activists for a drop in its profits, which it said led to closures and job cuts.
In addition to the boycott calls, some McDonald's branches were also subject to angry behavior from some customers.
McDonald's grants the franchise the right to operate more than 40,000 branches in more than 100 countries, recording total annual revenues of $23 billion for the year 2023.
The company is among a chain of businesses affected by the war-related controversy, including cosmetics retailer Lush and clothing chain Zara.
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