Zoe Hamburger leaves McDonald’s UK&I as successor named
After 18 months of maybe the UK’s best case of nominative determinism, Zoe Hamburger has stepped down from her senior role at the UK arm of McDonald’s.
Hamburger joined the McDonald’s UK senior leadership team as chief restaurant officer in March 2024.
In that role she was responsible for the operational restaurant business, including delivery, field services, franchising and corporate operations.
She first joined the company in the US more than ten years ago after working with advertising and public relations agencies, on the McDonald’s business, as well as other brands.
She has been succeeded as chief restaurant officer by Patrick Gerber after being promoted to managing director of McDonald’s Netherlands.
Gerber said: “I’m excited to be joining the UK and Ireland business and deliver on the opportunities this market offers.
“With an ambitious growth plan already in motion, it’s a great time to be taking on a role leading our restaurants to build on a legacy of success – driving innovation and enhancing operational excellence.
“I’m looking forward to working with our talented team and Franchisees to continue delivering an outstanding experience to customers in every restaurant, every day.”
McDonald’s UK CEO leaves after 18 years
The departure of Hamburger comes after it was announced last month that McDonald’s UK and Ireland chief executive Alistair Macrow had stepped down.
Macrow had been with the company for 18 years and had previously held several senior roles including chief marketing officer and global CMO.
In a statement on LinkedIn, he said: “It’s a decision that has been thoughtfully considered over time, and I’m confident that now is the right moment for the business to transition to new leadership.
“The past 18 years with the Golden Arches have been outstanding, and teenage me could never have imagined the career I’d have with this company, what we’d achieve together as a system, or the valuable friendships I’d make along the way.”
He added: “I still can’t quite believe I’m going to leave behind the world of McDonald’s, but I’m looking forward to the next chapter with my family – and I’ll always be cheering on the business from the sidelines.”
McDonald’s UK profit almost doubles
In August, City PM reported that profit at the UK arm of McDonald’s almost doubled in 2024 as it shed more than 2,000 jobs.
The US fast food giant posted a pre-tax profit of £120m for its latest financial year, up from the £66.3m it reported in 2023.
That figure though was down from the £170.8m it achieved in 2022.
McDonald’s operating profit also surged from £10.7m to £75.5m in 2024 having been cut from the £165.4m it achieved in 2022.
Accounts filed with Companies House also revealed that McDonald’s turnover fell in 2024 from £1.83bn to £1.82bn.
From its owned restaurants, McDonald’s turnover fell from £942m to £904.9m but increased from £893.5m to £916.8m from its licensees.
The results also show that the average monthly number of people McDonald’s employed in the UK in 2024 fell from 26,384 to 24,375.
McDonald’s said that these employees have been transferred to its franchises as part of a wider long term strategy and have not been lost.
That long-term goal is to have 95 per cent of its locations to be franchises.