Doug Goare is retiring as McDonald’s international lead markets president and chief restaurant officer, the company said on Monday.
The retirement, which is effective at the end of the year, will bring an end to the career of one of McDonald’s longest-tenured executives. Goare, 66, has worked for the Chicago-based burger giant for 40 years.
“Doug has been an important leader whose career at McDonald’s has spanned multiple continents and his expertise has contributed greatly to the success of our business today,” McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a statement. “I have always valued his wise counsel and his passion for elevating the experience for our customers and crew.”
Goare’s retirement, along with the company’s refranchising efforts, will bring about some significant changes in the McDonald’s organizational structure.
The company said that its International Operated Markets, or IOM, including countries where the company operates markets, will be overseen by Joe Erlinger, who will report to Easterbrook. Those markets include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain and the U.K.
Ian Borden, meanwhile, will oversee McDonald’s remaining international markets, International Developed Licensed Markets, or IDL.
Chris Kempczinski will remain president of McDonald’s USA.
The reorganization comes just three years after McDonald’s realigned its business to structure markets based on how well the brand was developed in those areas. But the company since then has sold off many of its company-owned restaurants to franchisees, who now operate more than 90% of the chain’s 37,000 locations.
“The organization we created as we were beginning our turnaround in 2015 helped us make decisions more quickly, act with greater agility and strengthen the performance of our markets,” Easterbrook said. “This new organizational structure provides us the opportunity to continue building on our progress.”
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