The company said that Jan Fields, president of McDonald’s USA, would be succeeded by Jeff Stratton, its global chief restaurant officer, effective Dec. 1. The announcement came less than a week after the company reported its first monthly sales drop in nearly a decade.

A McDonald’s spokeswoman, Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem, said that Don Thompson, the chief executive, and Ms. Fields were longtime friends and had discussed the need for a change at the top. A number of business factors played a role in the decision, but recent sales figures were not among them, she said.

“When you look at the size and scope of McDonald’s, there are numerous factors that go into a decision like this,” she said.

After years of outperforming its rivals, McDonald’s has struggled recently with intensifying competition at home and a persistently weak economy abroad. In October, the company reported its first monthly sales decline since March 2003. Ms. Fields, 57, who was named president of McDonald’s USA in 2010, started at the company as a crew member more than 35 years ago. She was responsible for menu innovations, like the expansion of the specialty drinks menu that includes fruit-flavored “chillers” and specialty coffees. She also revamped the Happy Meal last year to include apple slices and fewer French fries. And Ms. Fields led McDonald’s decision in September to start posting calorie information on its menu boards, ahead of a regulation that will require restaurant chains to do so.

As global chief restaurant officer, Mr. Stratton oversees operations, training and innovation. He also started as a crew member more than 40 years ago in Detroit and previously was chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s USA.

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/business/mcdonalds-replaces-a-top-executive.html?partner=rss&emc=rss