Don Thompson, who will soon leave the company, had two and a half years as chief executive after having worked at McDonald's for a quarter of a century. Late on Wednesday, the company said that Thompson will retire March 1.
The board elected
Steve Easterbrook to replace Thompson. Shares of McDonald's rose 3.1% to
$91.59 following the announcement. At the moment Easterbrook serves as
chief brand officer. McDonald's also shifted Chief Financial Officer
Pete Bensen to the newly created position of Chief Administrative
Officer.
Corporate Controller Kevin Ozan will serve as the new CFO, McDonald's said.
