McDonald’s Names Steve Easterbrook Global Chief Brand Officer

Former McDonald’s Corp. executive Steve Easterbrook has returned to the chain as executive v.p. and global chief brand officer.

Easterbrook will have global responsibility for marketing, menu development and consumer and business insights. He succeeds Kevin Newell, who recently assumed the new role of chief brand and strategy officer for McDonald’s USA, and will report to Don Thompson, McDonald’s president and CEO. He’ll be based in the company’s Oak Brook, Ill., headquarters.

Easterbrook was most recently CEO of Wagamama Ltd., a U.K. restaurant chain. Before leaving in 2011 to become CEO of PizzaExpress Ltd., the British native spent 18 years with McDonald’s. He took over as CEO of the U.K. in 2006; four years later, Easterbrook was named corporate executive v.p. and chief brand officer, and then became president of McDonald’s Europe, where he was responsible for 7,000 restaurants in 39 countries.