Jill McDonald (businesswoman)
Jill McDonald | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 May 1964 Birmingham, England |
| Education | Sevenoaks School University of Brighton |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Known for | Former CEO of Halfords Former CEO of McDonald's UK Former CEO of Costa Coffee |
| Children | 2 |
Gillian Clare McDonald (born 15 May 1964) is a British businesswoman. She has previously been the CEO of Costa Coffee, CEO of Halfords, CEO of McDonald's UK and head of Marks & Spencer's non-food business, overseeing clothing, home and beauty.
Early life
McDonald was born on 15 May 1964[1] in Birmingham, and grew up in Sevenoaks.[2] She was educated at Sevenoaks School and graduated from the University of Brighton with a first class degree in business studies.[3]
Career
She began her career as a graduate marketing trainee with Colgate Palmolive.[4] In 1990, she joined British Airways as a brand manager, and worked there for 16 years, rising to head of global marketing, before joining McDonald's in 2006.[5][6]
In 2006, she joined McDonald's as chief marketing officer for the UK and northern Europe, and in 2010, was promoted to CEO of McDonald's UK and president of North West Europe.[4][6]
She was appointed to the board of InterContinental Hotels Group in 2013.[7]
In May 2015, McDonald replaced Matt Davies (who left to join Tesco), as CEO of Halfords,[8] on a basic salary of £500,000 plus bonuses.[4]
In May 2017, McDonald was announced to be taking over Marks & Spencer's non-food business in the autumn, and in her role reported to CEO Steve Rowe.[9][10][11]
In July 2019, McDonald left Marks & Spencer after failing to secure an uplift in clothing sales, with Rowe assuming responsibility of the clothing and home division.[12][13]
In November 2019, McDonald was named CEO of Costa Coffee, and started on 2 December 2019.[14] On 13 July 2022, Costa Coffee announced that McDonald was stepping down as CEO of the company to join McDonald's in an international role.[15]
Personal life
McDonald is twice married and has two sons.[2][1]
References
- ^ a b "So Mrs McDonald, would you like fries with that?". The Sunday Times. 13 February 2011.
- ^ a b "Jill McDonald: North West Division President and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald's UK". McDonald's. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ ‘McDONALD, Gillian Clare’, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017
- ^ a b c "McDonald's UK CEO Jill McDonald swaps burgers for bikes and car parts". Fortune. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ "Executive Profile: Jill McDonald". Bloomberg. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ a b Barber, Lynsey (23 March 2015). "Halfords names Jill McDonald new chief executive to replace Matt Davies". CityAM. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ "Jill McDonald". InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
- ^ Farrell, Sean (23 March 2015). "Halfords hires McDonald's UK boss". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ "Marks and Spencer hires Halfords boss Jill McDonald". BBC News. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ Armstrong, Ashley. "M&S poaches Halfords boss Jill McDonald to run struggling clothing business". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ Butler, Sarah (3 May 2017). "M&S hires Halfords chief to run struggling clothing arm". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ "Marks & Spencer ousts fashion boss". BBC News. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "M&S sacks fashion boss McDonald with CEO to lead turnaround". Sky News. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ Upshall, Emma (22 November 2019). "Costa Coffee appoints Jill McDonald as new CEO". FoodBev Media. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
- ^ "Jill McDonald to step down as Costa Coffee CEO". Costa Newsroom. Retrieved 13 July 2022.