McDonald’s Names New CMO, Market Leaders

Fast-food behemoth McDonald’s on Tuesday (Aug. 24) took the next step in its quest to centralize its marketing, data analytics and digital initiatives across the entire company by naming a new chief marketing officer and other new segment leaders for its international operations.

Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald’s U.K. and Ireland, is the company’s new senior vice president of the international operated markets segment, replacing Manu Steijaert, who was tapped as the company’s first global chief customer officer last month, according to a CNBC report.

Alistair Macrow, the company’s global chief marketing officer, will be the company’s chief executive of the U.K. and Ireland division, after serving as CMO for the U.K. and Ireland in the past. Morgan Flatley, who had been chief marketing and digital customer experience officer for McDonald’s U.S.A., will take over for Macrow as global CMO.

McDonald’s hired Petco CMO Tariq Hassan to be Flatley’s successor as chief marketing and digital customer experience officer for McDonald’s U.S.A., as of Sept. 27.

The other appointments announced today will take effect Nov. 1.

Related: McDonald’s Aims To Become McData As Digital Strategy Takes Center Stage

McDonald’s digital sales in its top six markets were nearly $8 billion, a 70 percent increase from the same time a year earlier.

Also Read: McDonald’s Focuses On Rewards, Digital Initiatives With New Business Unit

McDonald’s recently enhanced its international app and rolled out the MyMcDonald’s Rewards program.

McDonald’s began testing its customer loyalty program in late 2020, months or even years after some of its competitors, as part of its increasing focus on digital, delivery and drive-thru. McDonald’s had about 20 million app users even before launching its rewards program last month.

Recent PYMNTS data noted that loyalty program users spent almost twice as much on takeout monthly as their non-user counterparts: $200 compared to $104. About 47 percent of all restaurant customers are now using at least one restaurant loyalty program, an increase from 43 percent in September 2020.