OAK BROOK, Ill. — McDonald's has announced the promotion of Neil Golden — an 18-year McDonald's veteran — to senior vice president and chief marketing officer of McDonald's USA, effective April 1, 2008.
Golden's McDonald's career began in 1989 as a regional marketing supervisor in McDonald's Indianapolis region. Since then, he has held a variety of field and home office positions, including his most recent as McDonald's USA vice president of marketing, where he was responsible for new initiatives, emerging consumer trends, strategic planning, plan development and ethnic marketing.
In his new role, Golden will oversee all aspects of national marketing for McDonald's USA, including collaboration and alignment with McDonald's Operator National Advertising Fund (OPNAD), for nearly 14,000 McDonald's restaurants in the United States.
Golden will replace William "Bill" Lamar Jr., who plans to retire at the end of the first quarter 2008, after more than two decades of working with the company.
