McDonald’s taps Bacardi’s Silvia Lagnado as global CMO

McDonald’s has appointed Bacardi’s Silvia Lagnado as its first global CMO since 2010 as part of its continued drive to revive the brand and turn around declining sales.

Lagnado will oversee global brand management including global marketing, menu and consumer insights.

She was recently CMO of Bacardi, where she was responsible for overseeing marketing for numerous brands. She previously held posts at Unilever, where she was one of the team behind Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty”.

Robert Gibbs is also joining McDonald’s as its global chief communications officer to lead its corporate relations group. His responsibilities will include managing internal and external communications and government and public affairs.

Gibbs will replace Bridget Coffing who recently announced her retirement.

He comes from strategic communications advisory firm The Incite Agency, and previously held several senior advisory roles in the White House, include press secretary to President Barack Obama.

Both executives will report to CEO Steve Easterbrook.

Easterbrook said: “Robert and Silvia are both highly respected, talented leaders who will bring a wealth of experience and outside perspective to McDonald’s as we build a more modern, progressive burger company.

“Returning excitement to our business proposition and brand is foundational to our turnaround plan, and Robert and Silvia – with their respective teams – will play critical roles in bringing this strategy to life.”

McDonald’s sales have struggled in recent months as it faces a change in consumer behaviour as people look for healthier meal options. Global sales decreased by 0.3% in May, with its US market down 2.2%. Its Europe market, however, was up by 2.3% largely due to strong results in the UK.

McDonald’s is in the midst of reviving the brand through a focus on personalisation, digital and is tackling quality perceptions with more premium food offerings.

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