McDonald’s shuffles executive team in U.S., globallyMcDonald’s shuffles executive team in U.S., globally

McDonald's Corp. continues to centralize its marketing, data and digital initiatives with the promotion of several executives and the hiring of a Petco executive to lead domestic marketing, the company said Tuesday.

The Chicago-based burger brand said Morgan Flatley, chief marketing and digital customer experience officer for McDonald’s USA, would on Nov. 1 become global chief marketing officer.

The company also has hired Tariq Hassan, left, chief marketing officer at Petco Inc., to succeed Flatley as chief of domestic marketing. Hassan will assume the chief marketing and digital customer experience officer position Sept. 27.

The executive changes follow last month’s promotion of Manu Steijaert to global chief customer officer.

“Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to developing a pipeline of customer-focused leaders who are making sure that the McDonald’s brand doesn’t just remain relevant for this generation, but the next,” said Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s CEO, in a LinkedIn post.

Over the past year, McDonald’s has made several moves to attract younger customers.

Flatley helped launch McDonald's “Famous Orders” campaign with pop stars, most recently with rapper Saweetie and earlier with South Korean boy band BTS. The company in July rolled out the MyMcDonald's Rewards loyalty program in the United States.

Related:McDonald’s announces its newest celebrity meal partner: Saweetie

Flatley will take over global marketing from Alistair Macrow, who will become CEO of McDonald’s business in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In addition, McDonald’s said Paul Pomroy, currently CEO of the U.K. and Ireland division, would be promoted to corporate senior vice president for international operated markets, a role held by Steijaert before his July appointment.

Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, in a message to the domestic team, said Hassan was “a seasoned marketing executive with more than 20 years of global marketing experience with premier brands.” Prior to Petco, Hassan served as senior vice president for global brand strategy and head of marketing for wealth management at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and held global leadership positions with HP and Omnicom.

“Marketing is critical to creating a holistic, compelling brand experience for our customers,” Erlinger said. “From our Famous Orders collaborations to our global mobile app, marketing underpins every aspect of the customer experience. As our customers look to move more seamlessly between in-restaurant, drive-thru and delivery, I am confident that Tariq will maintain our U.S. ambition, building on the team’s marketing successes and continuing to enhance our customer experience.”

Related:McDonald’s sales growth driven by K-pop band BTS partnership, new chicken sandwich

McDonald’s owns and franchise about 14,000 restaurants in the United States and more than 39,000 globally.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

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