Mike Roberts, McDonald’s president and Chief Operating Officer, announced today that Denis Hennequin, executive vice Ppesident of McDonald’s Europe, will become president of McDonald’s Europe effective July 1, 2005. Hennequin will succeed Russ Smyth who has decided to leave McDonald’s after 21 years with the company.

“Russ is a great leader and a great person,” says Roberts. “I regret that he’s moving on, but I know he is doing what’s right for him, his family, and the direction he wants to take his career, so I respect and support his personal decision.

“Denis Hennequin is a talented executive who forged a brilliant track record in France during his eight years as managing director there,” Roberts continues. “His innovative ideas and strategic thinking have already contributed to the sales traction we are beginning to see in Europe throughout the past year and a half he has served as executive vice president, McDonald’s Europe. We remain extremely confident in our people and in the strategies in place in Europe.”

Roberts also announced that Glen Steeves will become Chief Operating Officer of McDonald’s Europe, reporting to Hennequin. Presently, Steeves is senior vice president at McDonald’s Europe, with responsibility for McDonald’s restaurants in Northern Europe.

“Glen is another strong McDonald’s executive who began his career working in our restaurants. He is a seasoned veteran with deep restaurant operations expertise and an enormous passion for our customers and our brand in Europe. Together, he and Denis will continue to build on the momentum of the Plan to Win in Europe,” says Roberts.

Hennequin, 46, has been with McDonald’s for 21 years. In 1984, after graduating from law school, he began his McDonald’s career as an assistant restaurant manager in Paris. In 1996, at the age of 36, Hennequin became president of McDonald’s France. On January 1, 2004, he was promoted to executive vice-president for McDonald’s Europe. Hennequin and Steeves will be based in London.

Steeves has been with McDonald’s for 32 years. He began his McDonald’s career in the restaurants, starting as a crew member in Canada in 1973 after finishing university. After years in various field and operations positions, Steeves relocated to Russia as a member of the team that opened McDonald’s first restaurant in Moscow. During his time in Russia, he also helped build a thriving business there as Managing Director.In 2000, he was promoted to International Relationship Partner and over the course of the next four years assumed responsibility for the business in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and Germany.

McDonald’s Europe has more then 6,200 local restaurants in 51 countries with 250,000 employees and $6.7 billion in total revenues in 2004.