After Sales Drop, McDonald’s USA Turns To New Leadership

A week after the chain reported its first monthly same-store sales decrease in nine years, McDonald’s Corp. has replaced Jan Fields as president of McDonald’s USA. The Oak Brook, Ill., chain has named Jeff Stratton, currently global chief restaurant officer, to succeed Fields, effective December 1.

Fields has been with McDonald’s for more than 35 years. She drove major domestic initiatives for its 14,000 U.S. units, including re-imaging restaurants, expanding the McCafe beverage menu, revamping the Happy Meal to include healthier items, and in September, by posting nutrition information on menu boards.

Stratton currently oversees the function of nearly 34,000 McDonald’s restaurants globally, focusing in areas such as innovation, concept and design, operations, training, performance, and security. He’ll report to McDonald’s COO Tim Fenton.

Like Fields, Stratton began his career at McDonald’s as a crew member. He held numerous U.S. field operations positions before becoming west division president in 2001. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s USA, a role he held until joining the global team in ’05.