Fast food chain McDonald's has appointed its second new CEO in seven months after CEO Mr Charlie Bell resigned to fight cancer detected only two weeks after he became the company's chief.
He was replaced yesterday by vice-chairman Mr Jim Skinner, who since July has overseen McDonald's operations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Mr Skinner (60) began his McDonald's career in 1971 as a restaurant manager trainee.
"In the course of his 33-year career at McDonald's, he [Mr Skinner] has led every restaurant geography of the company . . . and his McDonald's roots are on the details and discipline of restaurant operations and customer service," McDonald's chairman Mr Andrew J. McKenna said in a statement.
The company also named Mike Roberts, CEO of McDonald's USA, as its the new president and chief operating officer.
Mr McKenna's statement said Mr Bell had asked him to thank everyone for their support.
Mr Bell (44) will continue to serve as a member of the company's board of directors.
He was diagnosed with cancer weeks after succeeding Mr Jim Cantalupo in April after Mr Cantalupo died of an apparent heart attack. He underwent surgery then, and has missed significant time at work since the spring because of the cancer.
Under Mr Cantalupo and Mr Bell, McDonald's has staged a sales turnaround in the past two years as the company slowed the pace of new store openings, added popular new salads and breakfast items to its menus and shed noncore parts of its business.