McDonald’s USA has announced the appointment of Alyssa Buetikofer, currently chief marketing officer (CMO) of McDonald’s Canada, to the role of senior vice-president, CMO and customer experience officer of McDonald’s USA.
Buetikofer will assume the role on 15 February 2025, replacing current chief marketing and customer experience officer Tariq Hassan who will step down to spend time with his family.
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Hassan, who joined McDonald’s in September 2021 after serving as CMO for three years at Petco, will stay on to support the transition through most of the first quarter of this year.
He is recognised as a powerful force in strengthening the brand, with initiatives such as adult Happy Meals and Grimace’s birthday celebration.
McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger stated: “Tariq has been a powerful force in driving our business forward and putting our brand at the centre of culture while delivering on our Accelerating the Arches strategy. Under his leadership, we have built deeper connections with our customers, delivered award-winning campaigns and found new ways to innovate, which helped strengthen McDonald’s position in a competitive marketplace. We also leaned into fan truths to create authentic connections with our customers through milestone moments like adult Happy Meals, food hacks and reigniting an obsession with Grimace.
“Tariq’s leadership helped us to transform into a data-driven, digital business, driving growth and building new capabilities to fortify our brand into the future. His principles and his values are unwavering, and on behalf of our entire system, I want to thank him for his impact and wish him and his wonderful family all the best in his next chapter.”
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By GlobalDataBuetikofer brings wide experience to her new role. She joined McDonald’s in 2011 and worked across a range of geographies and departments.
Her achievements as CMO of McDonald’s Canada include launching the loyalty programme, introducing menu expansions such as the McCrispy and Chicken Big Mac — the latter being Canada’s most successful limited-time offer — and enhancing beverage options.
In the US, she played a pivotal role in launching the Famous Orders platform.
Erlinger stated: “During her tenure on the US Marketing team, Alyssa was widely respected as a strong partner for owner/operators […]. She is a clear, thoughtful communicator and an experienced leader who truly embraces the critical role marketing plays in how we connect with our customers, inspire brand loyalty and grow our business. […] she’ll fit right in on our senior leadership team and will be a highly welcomed return to US marketing.”
In January 2025, McDonald’s rolled out a Pokémon-themed Happy Meal promotion across the US.
The brand also recently extended its partnership with tech company Cognizant to boost staff enablement, customer experience and operational efficiency.
