People Moves: Valerie Ashbaugh, CIO & SVP at McDonald's USA
Valerie Ashbaugh has been appointed Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President, McDonald’s USA, assuming the role from 1 August.
This strategic leadership transition reflects McDonald’s’ ongoing commitment to developing talent with broad, cross-functional experience and a global perspective.
Valerie brings a wealth of expertise from her previous role, where she spearheaded the transformation of McDonald’s consumer and restaurant technology platforms. Her leadership was instrumental in standardising systems and launching innovative capabilities, such as the company’s loyalty programme, Ready on Arrival, new ordering channels and Sesame, McDonald’s’ most stable POS ever.
Valerie’s tenure has been marked by a strong focus on engineering and innovation, including the integration of AI solutions currently in rapid prototyping and testing phases.
She has played a key role in the company’s Tech Transformation initiative, establishing a modern product operating model and expanding McDonald’s engineering footprint in Mexico and India. Her authentic leadership style and ability to motivate diverse, global teams, McDonald’s says, have consistently driven operational excellence across the organisation.
In her new role leading technology for McDonald’s in the US, Valerie will leverage her global experience, product expertise and commitment to team development to further advance McDonald’s Stateside technology strategy and execution.
Her appointment underscores McDonald’s belief that diverse experiences are essential to successful leadership alongside the company’s dedication to fostering leaders who can drive transformation and innovation.
Valerie’s leadership is expected to further strengthen the USSystem, ensuring McDonald’s remains at the forefront of technology and customer experience.
