McDonald’s has named two new senior executives to catalyze its ongoing turnaround effort, the company announced Thursday.
David Fairhurst has been promoted to the recently expanded role of executive vice president and chief people officer, effective Oct. 1. In his new role, Fairhurst—who currently serves as senior vice president of international human resources and strategy—will oversee global human resources and related training, McDonald’s said. He replaces Rich Floersch, who will retire from the company in December.
In addition, Chris Kempczinski has been hired as executive vice president of strategy, business development and innovation, effective Oct. 26. Kempczinski, who most recently served as an executive at Kraft Foods Group, will be responsible for driving growth via new concepts and strategic planning, McDonald’s said.
Both executives will report to CEO Steve Easterbrook, who noted his enthusiasm for the appointments in a statement. “We’re confident that David is the leader we need to continue supporting the business turnaround and driving our global people strategy,” Easterbrook said, adding that “Chris brings an unparalleled level of strategic expertise” at a crucial time for the company.
At this time, a search is also underway for an outside hire to replace McDonald’s former chief strategy officer, according to reports.
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