Transitions will be effective September 1, 2022
CHICAGO, June 27,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, McDonald's Corporation
(NYSE: MCD) CEO, Chris Kempczinski
sent the following message to the McDonald's Global System, which
also outlines additional leadership team updates.
Digital CV's and headshots for these leaders are embedded within
this release.
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As I said at Worldwide Convention in April, there's never been a
better time to be part of Brand
McDonald's.
McDonald's is now seen as leading in our industry on almost
every dimension. Together, we've transformed the McDonald's System
and are performing at a high level in almost every market in which
we operate.
This transformation has required enormous effort, collaboration,
and most importantly, leadership across all three legs of the stool
as we have worked to bring our Accelerating the Arches
strategy to life.
This has not been easy, nor was our current success a foregone
conclusion. In fact, several years ago, the outlook for our
business was far less rosy – at least, according to the pundits and
analysts. In 2014, global comparable sales and guest counts were
declining, new competitors were emerging, and customer and investor
expectations were rising for global companies like ours.
Remarkably, Wall Street consensus assumed the McDonald's System was
in structural decline.
Over the years, however, the McDonald's System has demonstrated
a remarkable knack for cultivating the right leaders for the
moment, and this was certainly true when Kevin Ozan and Francesca DeBiase were appointed to their
roles in March 2015.
Kevin and Francesca are long-time McDonald's veterans, with over
forty years of combined System experience and careers that were
purpose-built for their positions on our Global Senior Leadership
Team. They were well-known and highly respected, and their
appointments – Kevin as Chief Financial Officer and Francesca as
Global Chief Supply Chain Officer – coincided with the multi-year
reinvigoration of our business that has led to our current position
of strength.
It is with deep gratitude and respect that I am announcing today
that Kevin will be assuming a new position and has been promoted to
Senior Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, and that
Francesca recently shared with me her decision to retire from
McDonald's, effective August 31.
***
Kevin has been with McDonald's since 1997, when he joined from
Ernst & Young. From the moment Kevin stepped foot here, it was
clear to everyone who interacted with him that he brought something
truly special to our System. His intellect and ability to work
across multiple disciplines was only matched by his disarming
approach and his belief in the business.
I remember meeting Kevin when I first joined McDonald's. I was
struck by his dedication to the System, his low ego, and
unflappable judgment. I joked with Kevin that he was the "nicest
CFO" I'd ever met, and yet Kevin still set the highest standards
for himself and his team.
Kevin leads with an incredible combination of head and heart.
He's helped guide our System through so much the last seven years –
from onboarding two CEOs, to navigating through COVID, dealing with
activist investors and, most recently, our exit from the Russian
market. Kevin has seen and done it all.
In this elevated role, which will be effective September 1,
Kevin will continue to lead the Strategy team and spearhead several
strategic initiatives, while partnering with me and the Senior
Leadership Team, and plans to retire from McDonald's by
mid-2023.
With this move, Ian
Borden, currently President, International and a 30-year
System veteran, has been appointed to serve as our next Executive
Vice President and CFO, effective September 1.
Ian is well-known for being a values-based leader with a
tremendous amount of System knowledge. He first joined our System
in Canada in 1994. From there, he
went on to serve in roles including as CFO for our Asia-Pacific, Middle
East and Africa region and
CFO for Russia and Eastern Europe. He's also had several
leadership and P&L roles across our markets and
regions.
We often say that our international markets are the growth and
idea engine of the System, and in so many ways that is a testament
to Ian's leadership and contributions. From ambitious digital
deployments to delivery and EOTF, the markets under Ian's
leadership have been launching pads for some of our most ambitious
and impactful moves over the past decade. Ian consistently puts
teamwork at the heart of everything he does. His passion and
unfailing commitment to talent development has built a strong
succession pipeline across the System.
On our Senior Leadership Team, he has championed and fostered
closer and more effective collaboration across our markets to
execute our strategy with great success while also navigating
unpredictable challenges with agility and purpose. For these
reasons, and so many more, this makes Ian an exceptional leader for
our Finance organization as our next CFO.
Ian, his wife Yolande, and his two sons – Ethan and Matthew –
will be relocating to Chicago and
I look forward to benefiting even more from his partnership. We
will share an update on our International leadership in
mid-July.
***
Francesca has been with McDonald's since 1991, and last year
celebrated her 30th anniversary – an incredible
milestone!
The strength and resiliency of our Supply Chain is a cornerstone
of our competitive advantage and a mark of Francesca's leadership.
The strategic relationships Francesca has forged throughout the
supplier community – based on transparency, inclusion, and trust –
have been key to our success in creating a best-in-class Supply
Chain that is the envy of our industry, and so many
others.
Francesca was one of the earliest leaders in our System to
champion progressive and sustainable business solutions, which are
now deeply embedded across McDonald's. She has been fiercely
passionate about talent development – both within her organization
and across the System – and led our Global Women's Leadership
Network for many years, stewarding a culture where women have the
most opportunity to succeed and grow. Generations to come will
undoubtedly benefit from the impact of her leadership.
There's little Francesca has not seen in her McDonald's journey
– from trade challenges, to the impacts of climate change, to all
manner of disruptions. Even so, the unforeseen impacts of an
unprecedented global pandemic further proved the strength and
resilience of Francesca's leadership and our entire Supply Chain.
While others broke supply, McDonald's did not. That is a truly
extraordinary accomplishment. For this, and for so much more, we
are grateful.
While Francesca will certainly be missed, it gives me great
pleasure to announce that Marion
Gross, Chief Supply Chain Officer of North America, has been promoted to Executive
Vice President, Global Chief Supply Chain Officer, and will join
the Global Senior Leadership Team, effective September 1.
Marion's impressive career at McDonald's has spanned 29 years,
but she had already been a part of the System for several years
having managed transportation and logistics at HAVI. At McDonald's,
she first managed the supply of several national product categories
before taking on strategic Supply Chain initiatives across 36
distribution centers. Most recently, Marion has been responsible
for executing the strategic direction of McDonald's Supply Chain
across the U.S. and Canada.
Marion's embrace of our values is a hallmark of her leadership.
Her deep involvement in our communities and constant focus on truly
driving our purpose deep within the System stand tall as clear
examples that we get better together.
We will share more details on Marion's successor before she
formally transitions this fall.
***
Finally, Katie Fallon, who
has successfully served as McDonald's first-ever Chief Global
Impact Officer, recently informed me of her decision to depart
McDonald's.
Katie has been a deeply valuable partner to me and so many
throughout our System as we've risen to society's growing
expectations of business. She has brought critical functions
together and forged a collective strategy to drive trust and
admiration for McDonald's. While we have benefitted from Katie's
strong leadership, I fully support and understand her decision to
pursue an opportunity that has fewer travel demands and better
aligns with the needs of her young family in Washington
D.C.
Katie's last day with us will be July
15, and I am confident that this team, and our System, have
the right leaders and plans in place to continue advancing our
progress as we deliver on our purpose to feed and foster
communities.
While we identify Katie's successor, Kevin will oversee the
Global Impact team.
***
I feel immense pride in everything the McDonald's System has
accomplished over the past several years and am confident that the
leaders announced today will help accelerate our
momentum.
The McDonald's System is special because our people are special.
With ketchup coursing through our veins, McDonald's future has
never been brighter.
Chris
ABOUT MCDONALD'S
McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with
more than 39,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 95%
of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by
independent local business owners.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This document contains forward-looking statements about future
events and circumstances. Generally speaking, any statement not
based upon historical fact is a forward-looking statement. In
particular, statements regarding McDonald's plans, strategies,
prospects and expectations regarding its business and industry are
forward-looking statements. They reflect McDonald's expectations,
are not guarantees of performance and speak only as of the date
hereof. Except as required by law, McDonald's does not undertake to
update such forward-looking statements. You should not rely unduly
on forward-looking statements. McDonald's business results are
subject to a variety of risks, including those that are described
in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
March 31, 2022 and subsequent filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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SOURCE McDonald's Corporation