McDonald’s US marketing leader Tariq Hassan is leaving

Tariq Hassan, who has led McDonald’s U.S. marketing since 2021, is leaving the Chicago-based fast food chain and will be replaced by Alyssa Buetikofer, the chief marketing officer of McDonald’s Canada. Hassan, who held the title of chief marketing and customer experience officer, “will stay on to support the transition through most of the first quarter,” according to a letter to McDonald’s stakeholders posted on the company’s website from McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger. The letter states that Hassan “loves this brand” and “the team he has assembled” but is “at a point now where he feels the team and the work is in very strong shape, a strong successor has been identified to lead the team forward, and time with his daughter before she heads off to college in the fall and time with his wife after many years of being remote, takes precedence.” Hassan is married to New York-based JPMorgan Chase CMO Carla Hassan. Buetikofer, who joined McDonald’s in 2011, “has held roles across three geographies and five departments, giving her a broad perspective of our brand, our customers and our commercial edge,” Erlinger said. One of her former roles was as senior director of U.S. marketing brand and content with McDonald’s crediting her as one of the key leaders of its successful Famous Orders program that featured celebrity-backed meals. Hassan, a former CMO for Petco, became chief marketing officer of McDonald’s U.S. in late 2021, after Morgan Flatley was promoted to global chief marketing officer. Marketing campaigns under Hassan targeted fan truths and subcultures within McDonald’s large consumer base, such as the brand’s celebrity meals, adult Happy Meals, the Grimace Birthday Meal, manga-inspired WcDonald’s and the “As Featured In” campaign. Wieden+Kennedy New York is the chain’s lead U.S creative agency But like other restaurant brands, McDonald’s has struggled to woo customers tired of rising food costs. In response, McDonald’s rolled out a $5 Meal Deal last year and has since continued to push on value with a recent campaign starring John Cena. For the third quarter ended Sept. 30, McDonald’s U.S. comparable sales were up 0.3%, while global comparable sales were down 1.5%. Buetikofer in a video posted on McDonald’s website today described herself as “results-driven.”

McDonald’s US marketing leader Tariq Hassan is leaving

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