McDonald's Taps Skye Anderson to Lead US Business After Sales Miss

McDonald's has replaced Joe Erlinger as president of McDonald's USA after missing second-quarter U.S. sales-growth expectations. The company cited 'execution lapses' that blunted efforts to bring back low-income consumers who have cut back on eating out. Skye Anderson, a 26-year company veteran and current U.S. chief operating officer, has taken over as president of McDonald's USA effective immediately.

The decision was made after the company reported a 0.8% increase in U.S. same-store sales, below Wall Street expectations. CEO Chris Kempczinski attributed the miss to 'execution lapses' and a heavy calendar of promotions that overwhelmed restaurant crews and led to dissatisfied customers. He also mentioned that cutting digital discounts while deploying a new under-$3 menu was a mistake.

Kempczinski praised Erlinger's record, but criticized U.S. division leadership for not executing at the level needed in the second quarter. Anderson has been tasked with reaccelerating customer traffic and improving franchisee cash flow. She will oversee roughly 14,000 restaurants in the United States.