Dive Brief:
- McDonald’s has elected Kareem Daniel as an independent director of its board of directors effective Oct. 1, the company announced Monday.
- Daniel currently serves as chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution at The Walt Disney Company.
- Daniel joins the board about a month after McDonald’s brought on three new members and after Sheila Penrose, who was unsuccessfully targeted for removal by activist investor Carl Icahn, retired.
Dive Insight:
Daniel brings decades of experience in customer service, business transformation and diversity that align well with McDonald’s current goals. Daniel has worked at Disney for 15 years and currently oversees the growth and profitability of Disney’s global media businesses, including streaming services Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu and Star+.
He has experience meeting evolving consumer preferences, which could prove helpful as McDonald’s tries improve its response to shifting demand. Last year, the company created a team that would use data analytics, digital customer engagement, global marketing and restaurant development and solutions to improve engagement on-premise and through digital channels.
Daniel also has experience with business transformation, including via digital and emerging technology, both of which are high priorities for McDonald’s. While at Disney, Daniel helped bring its major brands into immersive experiences at Disney’s parks and resorts, including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus.
Daniel also helped develop networking and mentoring programs and started the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution's Executive DE&I Council. This experience could come in handy as McDonald’s tackles issues related to diversity, especially among franchisees. In August, the company launched a program to support Black community leaders. The company also began a civil rights audit earlier this year.
The election of Daniel brings the total membership of McDonald’s board to 15.
