# Chris Kempczinski

> Chris Kempczinski is the Chicago-based Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald’s Corporation. A former P&G brand manager and PepsiCo and Kraft executive, he joined McDonald’s in 2015, became U.S. president in 2017, CEO in 2019 and chairman in 2024. His tenure spans Accelerating the Arches, a more visible personal presence online and the 2026 McDonald’s > NEXT strategy.

- **Role:** Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at McDonald’s Corporation
- **Organizations:** McDonald’s Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Boston Consulting Group
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High school diploma, Indian Hill High School, Bachelor’s degree, Duke University, MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Appointed CEO of McDonald’s in 2019 and chairman in May 2024., Led McDonald’s USA, with responsibility for approximately 14,000 restaurants., Developed the Accelerating the Arches growth strategy.

## Career timeline

- **1991** — Graduated from Duke University; began career in P&G brand management.
- **1997** — Completed Harvard MBA and joined Boston Consulting Group.
- **2000** — Joined PepsiCo in corporate strategy and development.
- **2008** — Joined Kraft; served as senior vice president of U.S. grocery through 2012.
- **2012** — Became president of Kraft Canada.
- **2014** — Became executive vice president of growth initiatives and president of Kraft International.
- **2015** — Joined McDonald’s as executive vice president of strategy, business development and innovation.
- **2017** — Became president of McDonald’s USA in January.
- **2019** — Appointed McDonald’s president and CEO in November.
- **2020** — Launched Accelerating the Arches.
- **2021** — Joined P&G’s board as an independent director.
- **2024** — Became chairman of McDonald’s board in May.
- **2026** — Introduced McDonald’s > NEXT in June; detailed the strategy at September Investor Day.

## Achievements

- Appointed CEO of McDonald’s in 2019 and chairman in May 2024.
- Led McDonald’s USA, with responsibility for approximately 14,000 restaurants.
- Developed the Accelerating the Arches growth strategy.
- Inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement in 2008.
- Received the Kosciuszko Foundation’s 2024 Medal of Recognition.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — McDonald’s detailed NEXT at its September 23 Investor Day, including planned partnering support of approximately $8.5 billion through 2036 and new 2030 targets.
- **2026-08** — Announced Skye Anderson as president of McDonald’s USA alongside Q2 results: global comparable sales rose 1.3%, and U.S. comparable sales rose 0.8% while U.S. comparable guest counts declined.
- **2026-06** — Introduced McDonald’s > NEXT in a June 1 message to the McDonald’s System.
- **2026-03** — Big Arch taste-test video drew widespread attention and response videos from competitors.

## Links

- Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/leadership-team/chris-kempczinkski.html
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskempczinski/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisk_mcd/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/chris-kempczinski
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21