McDonald's successor to hasten global revamp

by Mark Sweney, Marketing 21-Apr-04

The sudden death of McDonald's chairman and chief executive Jim Cantalupo on Monday, and his immediate replacement by Charlie Bell, is not expected to slow the fast-food giant's global revitalisation programme.

Indeed, some in the marketing industry believe Bell will drive the project - which covers restaurants, menus and advertising - even harder than his predecessor.

McDonald's moved swiftly to announce Bell's appointment, just hours after 60-year-old Cantalupo died from a suspected heart attack while at McDonald's worldwide owner/operator convention in Orlando, Florida.

According to a source close to McDonald's, former chief operating officer Bell had been a driving force behind the change in global positioning.

'Bell has been driving many of the changes, he has been the powerhouse. In many ways he has been a more radical mover than Cantalupo,' said the source.

Bell has enjoyed a meteoric rise since starting out as a 15-year-old crew member at a McDonald's in his native Australia.

He moved to the US in 2002 from president of McDonald's European and Asia Pacific operations. Prior to that he was managing director and chief executive of McDonald's Australia.