McDonald’s announced Monday that the chain has appointed Desiree Ralls-Morrison as general counsel and corporate secretary, overseeing global legal operations and corporate governance. Ralls-Morrison will begin her tenure on April 26 at the quick-service chain’s headquarters in Chicago. She joins McDonald’s from Boston Scientific Corporation, where she previously served as general counsel and corporate secretary for the medical solutions company.
“I’m thrilled that Desiree is joining our team not just for the strong experience she brings, but for the values-based leadership that has defined every aspect of her career,” McDonald’s president and CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a statement. “Her commitment to leading with integrity, along with her work to support positive change in communities, will strengthen our efforts to bring our values to life across the business. As the leader of our global legal function, I’m confident that Desiree will build on the strong foundation in place to deepen our commitment to our communities, embed our values across all aspects of the system and help us further bring our accelerating the arches growth strategy to life.”
Prior to her career at Boston Scientific Corporation, Ralls-Morrison served as general counsel and corporate secretary at Boehringer Ingelheim USA, Inc., and general counsel of the Consumer Group at Johnson & Johnson. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. and was also a Founding Member of The New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund in Massachusetts.
In 2019 Ralls-Morrison was named one of the most powerful women in corporate America by Black Enterprise Magazine and in 2020, she was named one on the top innovative general counsels in the world by the Financial Times.
“McDonald’s role in communities is known throughout the world, and I am proud and humbled to be joining a company with such an immense impact,” Ralls-Morrison said in a statement. “The challenges are complex, but the opportunities are significant. I look forward to leading this talented legal team as we support Chris, the senior leadership team and the entire system to deliver on McDonald’s business priorities and its vital purpose to feed and foster communities.”
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