The Irvine Company has named Michael McKee as chief executive of the county’s dominant real estate company.
McKee, already the No. 2 at the company behind Chairman Donald Bren, previously had the title of chief operating officer and vice chairman.
In his new role, McKee will oversee the day-to-day executive operations of the company and remain vice chairman. He’s the first person at the Irvine Co. to have the chief executive title in more than 30 years.
In a statement, Bren said he’ll continue to be an active chairman and plans to remain involved in the company’s long-term vision and strategies.
“As we have grown more complex and geographically dispersed, our board of directors and I consulted and concluded that we must adjust our management structure to continue to be effective and efficient,” Bren said in a company memo.
McKee, 61, 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 company, as well as Bren’s 2002 buyback of the apartment unit.
As vice chairman, McKee and Bren form a two-person operations management committee that oversees all aspects of the company.
