Michael McKee, chief executive of The Irvine Company, is retiring, the county’s dominant real estate company announced on Monday.
McKee was the long-time No. 2 at the Newport Beach-based company, behind Chairman Donald Bren. He previously had the title of chief operating officer and vice chairman, and was named chief executive last June.
The retirement is effective Sept. 1. A direct replacement for McKee was not announced.
Dan Young will continue to lead the Irvine Community Development Co., which oversees the company’s homebuilding operations; Rick Gilchrist will stay as head of the company’s Investment Properties Group, which includes offices, apartments and retail properties, Bren said in a memo.
“I will continue to be an active chairman, deeply involved in our company’s long-term vision and strategies,” Bren said in the memo.
McKee, 62, joined the Irvine Co. in 1994, when he was brought in as the company’s chief legal officer and Bren’s personal attorney. He was named chief operating officer in 2001.
He was instrumental in deals that allowed Bren to buy out minority shareholders, and become 100% owner of the company, as well as Bren’s 2002 buyback of the apartment unit.
As vice chairman, McKee and Bren formed a two-person operations management committee that oversees all aspects of the company.
