McDonald’s is promoting Alistair Macrow to the role of global chief marketing officer and giving U.S. CMO Morgan Flatley additional responsibilities as Senior VP of Global Marketing Colin Mitchell leaves the company.
Mitchell is departing after less than a year in his senior VP role and a total of four years at McDonald’s. He decided to leave the world’s largest restaurant company “in search of a new challenge,” CEO Chris Kempczinski wrote in an internal message reviewed by Ad Age.
The changes at the top of McDonald’s marketing team are the latest in a series of leadership moves executed by Kempczinski since he became CEO in November. The shakeup comes as McDonald’s continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, including its plans to devote millions of dollars to marketing in major markets including the U.S. And just last week, McDonald’s made a statement in support of racial justice, with a “Black lives matter” video and messages saying the company stands with black communities around the world, while pledging monetary donations to the National Urban League and NAACP.
“A brand is so much more than a logo; it’s a statement of values, intent and aspirations that consumers consciously (and unconsciously) choose to associate with,” Kempczinski wrote in the internal message.
Macrow and Flatley “both personify the values of inclusivity and innovation that define McDonald’s, and that I expect from our senior leaders,” Kempczinski wrote in the letter.