Steve Easterbrook has been named executive vice president and global chief brand officer of McDonald's Corp. He is currently president and CEO of McDonald's United Kingdom and president of Europe's Northern Division.
In this newly created role, Easterbrook will help lead marketing, menu innovation, consumer insights and other global brand assets at the company. He will also provide strategic leadership for corporate social responsibility and restaurant architecture.
He will assume the position on Sept. 1 and report to Don Thompson, COO and president.
Easterbrook is a 16-year McDonald's veteran with experience in finance, operations, and supply chain. He has served as CEO of the U.K. operations since 2006 and added Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Ireland to his responsibilities in 2007.
Under his watch, McDonald's U.K. restaurants have undergone menu updates and store modernization reimaging.
"We're confident that Steve is the right person to step up and help keep our brand relevant and contemporary around the world," said McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner. "This new position is a natural evolution of our commitment to our customers and our pledge to be better, not just bigger."
Jill McDonald will replace Easterbrook as CEO of the U.K. and president of Northern Europe. She is currently the chief marketing officer for Northren Europe. In her new role, she will report to Denis Hennequin, president of McDonald's Europe.
McDonald joined the company in 2006 with marketing experience from global brands such as Colgate Palmolive and British Airways.
"Jill's ability to drive innovation in our menu and in the way that we communicate with our customers has been key to our success in the U.K.," said Hennequin. "With her strong leadership and strategic skills, I'm delighted that she'll be leading our business in the U.K. and Northern Europe."
