Ben Fox has been promoted internally to lead McDonald’s marketing function in the UK and Ireland.
McDonald’s has appointed a new CMO to head up marketing in the UK and Ireland, promoting internally to fill the role.
Ben Fox takes on the top marketing job in the region, having first joined the brand in 2012. He has been working in international roles since 2020, most recently as senior director of marketing and strategy for EMEA international development licenses, where he worked across 36 markets.
Prior to this, he worked in the UK and Ireland for eight years. He returned to the market in January to lead marketing in the region.
Fox’s predecessor, Michelle Graham Clare, who held the role for three and a half years, has moved into an international position. In January, she took on the role of chief marketing officer and corporate vice-president for international operated markets.
In the four months since he returned to the UK and Ireland market to take on the role, Fox has been leading campaigns such as the activation around ‘A Minecraft Movie’. This campaign saw McDonald’s and Minecraft collaborate to launch a limited edition menu, as well as collectibles, toys and an in-game experience.
“I’m passionate about creating a culture built on collective success and delivering exceptional work for the business – and it’s an important time for us to do just that,” says Fox.
“We want to carry on creating exciting food our customers want to talk about, experiences that create the next generation of McDonald’s memories, and exciting campaigns that connect with all of our customers in the way that only we can.”
McDonald’s has faced stiff competition from smaller rivals in recent times. In particular, it has come under fire for its value proposition. These pressures have been particularly evident in the UK.
CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors during McDonald’s 2024 results in February that the UK business had been underperforming. He attributed this to weak consumer sentiment in the market, as well as tough competition from local brands, particularly in the breakfast occasion.
The UK’s approach to marketing in 2024 also came under fire from the global CEO.
“We need to have better marketing in the UK, I think we, frankly, didn’t have the level of marketing execution in the back half of last year that we’re used to,” he said, speaking about the 2024 results.
