McDonald’s Corp. says the company will have a smooth transition following the abrupt departure of President and COO Mike Roberts this week. The QSR has named Ralph Alvarez, former president of McDonald’s North America, to replace Roberts, effective immediately.
“Once again, McDonald’s continues to benefit from our deep bench of management talent to achieve a smooth, seamless transition,” McDonald’s spokesman Walt Riker said. “The change in management doesn’t signify any kind of change in worldwide strategy for McDonald’s.”
In addition to overseeing some 15,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. and Canada operations, Alvarez, 51, recently worked as president of McDonald’s Mexico. He joined the company in 1994. In naming him to the post, McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner touted Alvarez’s track record in McDonald’s domestic and international business.
Don Thompson, McDonald’s executive VP and COO of U.S. business, will replace Alvarez as president of U.S. operations. Thompson, 43, started his career at the Oak Brook, IL-based chain in 1990 as a restaurant systems engineer.
The management shake-up isn’t the first to occur at the company in recent years. McDonald’s rearranged its management team following the deaths of former CEO Jim Cantalupo in 2004 and former CEO Charlie Bell, who died of cancer in 2005 (PROMO Xtra, Jan. 19, 2005).
Despite the staffing changes, McDonald’s is strong and plans to continue with its ongoing revitalization blueprint, The Plan to Win, Riker said. Roberts’ departure won’t force McDonald’s to change its marketing strategy, he added. The company plans to continue its forever young experience around its i’m lovin’ it theme, Riker said.
“[McDonald’s] has strong, stable leadership, it has a plan,” Riker added. “It is listening to customers. We won’t miss a beat.”
Roberts, who had been credited with helping revitalize McDonald’s U.S business, did not specifically say why he resigned after 29 years with the company. In an e-mail yesterday to the McDonald’s team, the 55-year-old said his resignation was “a decision that I believe is right for me, my family, my career and the company at this time.”
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