In anticipation of significant organizational changes designed to improve the customer experience, McDonald’s USA today named Henry Gonzalez, Ralph Alvarez and Don Thompson to be division presidents for the reorganized, three-division structure of McDonald’s business in the U.S. They will report directly to Mike Roberts, president of McDonald’s USA.

“These appointments are part of an ongoing change management process designed to grow our business. It centers on our restaurants and improving our customers’ experience. We’ve sharpened our focus, looked at our structure and are identifying ways we can place more concentrated resources closest to the heart of our business,” said Roberts. “Our division presidents bring strong leadership credentials and years of experience to their new assignments. I look forward to working closely with them and with Jack Greenberg, Alan Feldman and the new global management team so that our business is more focused, more competitive and more strategic than ever before.”

Named on October 9 were:

• Henry Gonzalez: East Division. Currently president of McDonald’s
USA’s Northeast Division. A 25-year veteran of the company, Gonzalez
has risen through the ranks of the organization. Prior to taking his
current post, he was senior vice president and restaurant support
officer in the Northeast Division, where he was responsible for all
franchising, restaurant development, purchasing, training and
operations activity.

• Ralph Alvarez: Central Division. Currently president of McDonald’s
Mexico. Alvarez joined McDonald’s in 1994 as a director of development
for Northern California. He became regional vice president in
Sacramento. Subsequently, Alvarez was a regional director for Chipotle
Mexican Grill. Prior to his McDonald’s career, he was an executive
with both Wendy’s International and Burger King. Alvarez will be
relocating from Mexico to Chicago in the coming weeks.

• Don Thompson: West Division. Currently president of McDonald’s USA’s
Midwest Division. Thompson began his career with McDonald’s in 1990 as
a restaurant systems engineer, and since then, has held director of
operations and restaurant support officer positions. Prior to his
current position, Thompson was regional vice president of the San Diego
region and senior vice president of the Midwest Division. He will be
relocating to the West Division office in Irvine, California.

Since taking over as president of McDonald’s USA on June 1, Roberts has led a comprehensive assessment process to help focus McDonald’s USA’s resources on activities that will improve the restaurant experience for customers and accelerate system growth and profitability.