McDonald's Corp. is hoping a leadership shake-up for its U.S. business will help it fight off intensifying competition.
The world's biggest hamburger chain said Jan Fields, president of McDonald's USA, will be replaced by Jeff Stratton, its global chief restaurant officer, effective Dec. 1. The announcement comes less than a week after the fast-food giant reported its first monthly sales drop in nearly a decade.
A McDonald's spokeswoman said CEO Don Thompson and Fields are longtime friends and that they discussed the need for a change at the top. A number of business factors played a role in the decision, but recent sales figures were not among them, said a McDonald's spokeswoman.
"When you look at the size and scope of McDonald's, there are numerous factors go into a decision like this," she said. "It's difficult to isolate factors."
After years of outperforming its rivals, McDonald's has struggled amid intensifying competition at home and a persistently weak economy abroad. In October, the company reported its first monthly sales decline since March 2003. Thompson said the company would return its focus on its Dollar Menu after efforts to shift customers to a more expensive "Extra Value Menu."
