McDonalds's Promotes Karen King to East Division President

OAK BROOK, IL – McDonald’s USA is pleased to announce the promotion of Karen King to president of McDonald’s East Division. In her new role, King will oversee all aspects of restaurant operations, franchisee relations and business strategy for more than 5,200 company-owned and franchised McDonald’s restaurants in the Eastern United States, from New England to South Florida.

“Karen is a proven business leader and restaurateur who keeps the customer at the forefront of nearly every business decision she makes,” said Don Thompson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for McDonald’s USA. “As a former McDonald’s crew employee, with 30 years of restaurant operations experience, Karen is uniquely qualified for this new leadership role. Karen embodies all of the attributes and business acumen necessary to work with our franchisees, suppliers and employees in the East Division to help them achieve even greater success and satisfy our customers in the restaurants.”

Throughout her McDonald’s career, King has earned recognition as a dynamic
motivator and brand champion. In 1996 King received the prestigious McDonald’s President’s Award – recognition presented annually to less than one percent of McDonald’s employees worldwide.

“The skills I acquired while working as a crew employee continue to guide my
thinking today,” said King. “I’ll always want to know how the decisions we make impact our customers in our restaurants. If we stay focused on operational excellence and consistently taking care of our guests, we’ll definitely achieve great business results.” Prior to her promotion to President, McDonald’s East Division, King was Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Development for McDonald’s USA, where she served as a senior advisor to McDonald’s U.S. Leadership Team. King developed and helped execute strategic business plans to build on the company’s recent positive business performance in the U.S.

King started her McDonald’s career in 1975 as a restaurant crew employee in
Lawrenceville, Georgia. She has served in a variety of leadership positions throughout her McDonald’s career, including Licensing Manager, Operations Manager, Field Service Manager and Director of Operations. In 1998, King was promoted to Regional Manager/Vice President for McDonald’s Raleigh Region, and during her tenure the region realized many business successes. In 2002, King was named General Manager/Vice President for McDonald’s Florida Region, where she consistently achieved impressive business results, with the region leading the country in comparable sales and owner-operator cash flow.

McDonald's USA, LLC is the leading quick service restaurant in the United States
serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald's 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information on McDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com.

Former Crew Employee Oversees More than 5,000 Restaurants in 21 States