As the fast-food giant searches for a new marketing leader, it will split the role between two longtime executives on an interim basis.
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Alyssa Buetikofer, chief marketing and customer experience officer of McDonald’s USA, will leave the company next month to spend more time with her family, according to an internal note obtained by Marketing Dive. A 15-year veteran at McDonald’s, the executive was appointed to her latest role less than two years ago when Tariq Hassan stepped down.
As the company conducts a search for its new U.S. CMO, its marketing will be supported by two current executives in interim roles. Global CMO and Head of New Business Ventures Morgan Flatley will also serve as <a href="https://bitcomme.com/transunion-appoints-david-gilbert-as-interim-chief-financial-officer-2/" title="TransUnion Appoints David Gilbert as Interim Chief Financial Officer”>interim chief creative officer, while company veteran Charlie Newberger will serve as interim senior vice president, U.S. chief marketing and commercial officer.
The shakeup arrives a day after McDonald’s reported that U.S. comparable sales declined 0.2% in Q3 2026. However, global comparable sales increased 1.5% and the company beat Wall Street expectations.
Buetikofer will remain with McDonald’s through Dec. 18 to help support the leadership transition. The note cited her impact on McDonald’s business, where she recently oversaw the return of Snack Wraps and Monopoly, as well as the launch of a new beverage platform and a successful Grinch collaboration.
Flatley previously served as U.S. chief marketing and digital customer experience officer from 2017 to 2021 before taking on the global leadership role. She is described in the note as the driving force behind the brand’s “Fan Truths” strategy and the “Famous Orders” platform.
“In today’s environment, creativity is the difference maker for brands, and Morgan’s leadership puts us in a strong position to develop big ideas that build the brand and accelerate growth,” according to the note.
Newberger has been at McDonald’s for more than 17 years and was most recently corporate vice president and global category head for beverages and desserts. In the interim, he will lead marketing operations and work to translate strategy into commercial execution across the U.S. business.
The leadership moves and CMO search come as McDonald’s works to implement a strategic plan that it unveiled in June and detailed at a September investor day. Marketing is part of a consumer-focused pillar of the plan that includes creating brand-led content and co-creating with fans to reach consumers in relevant and personalized ways. McDonald’s last month also stepped away from the FIFA World Cup, a move that could disrupt the QSR sports sponsorship space.
