McDonald's hires ex-BA chief in top European role

by Nicola Clark, Marketing 17-May-06

McDonald's has appointed former British Airways global marketing chief Jill McDonald to the role of senior vice-president, chief marketing officer for Northern Europe.

McDonald was most recently global head of marketing at BA.

She left the airline in January as part of a major management reshuffle
(Marketing, 18 January).

McDonald will oversee the fast-food chain's UK and Northern European

promotional activity. It is believed that the role makes her the most

senior UK marketer at the company.

Her appointment follows the departure of John Hawkes, marketing director
for McDonald's UK. It comes at a pivotal time for the company in the UK,
which has suffered poor sales, despite innovative additions to its menu.
In April, McDonald's chief operating officer Mike Roberts said he was
not 'overly impressed' with the UK roll-out of Toasted Deli Sandwiches
(Marketing, 25 April).

Last autumn, McDonald's chief financial officer Matt Paull said the
issues faced in the UK market 'may take longer to resolve'.