McDonald’s unites marketing, food development and insight under new CMO – Marketing Week

McDonald’s has restructured its marketing leadership team in the UK and Ireland to bring together marketing, food development and customer insights.

The shake-up marks the appointment of senior vice president and chief marketing officer Gareth Helm, who replaced former vice president of marketing and food development, Emily Somers, earlier this month.

Under the restructure head of marketing Michelle Graham-Clare has been promoted to marketing director for food and beverages, working alongside Ben Fox in his role as marketing director for brand, experience and media.

Reflecting on the decision to unite marketing, food development and insights Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald’s UK and Ireland, explains the move will bring together the “right expertise” from across the business to continue to align strategy with customer insights.

“As a business, we have strong momentum and we will continue to listen and invest in what customers want – choice, value, convenience and doing right by our people,” he states.

READ MORE: McDonald’s names Zoopla’s Gareth Helm as UK CMO

Helm, who joined the fast food chain after four years as CMO at property site Zoopla (ZPG), has returned to his food marketing roots, following close to two decades working for companies such as Urban Fruit, Innocent Drinks, Kraft and Unilever.

Pomroy adds. “I’m extremely excited by what Gareth will bring to the business and our already strong marketing function, which has been led by our two marketing directors – Ben and Michelle.”

Helm and his restructured team have a number of issues to contend with including the government crackdown on junk food advertising and the wider push to go plastic free.