McDonald’s Announces Leadership Transition in International Developmental Licensed Markets

McDonald's success is built on the strength of our System and the teams who bring our brand to life in markets around the world. Spanning a footprint of five billion people, our International Developmental Licensed (IDL) Markets Segment is an important source of growth for McDonald's and a learning lab for the business - incubating innovation before scaling our best ideas across the System.

As we continue to build on the Segment's contribution and capture the opportunities ahead, I want to share an important leadership update.

After more than a decade with our System, Dario Baroni has made the decision to leave McDonald's and return to Italy.

From his early roles as Chief Marketing Officer and then Managing Director of Italy through to his leadership of IDL, Dario has made a lasting contribution to McDonald's through years of high-performing, people-centered leadership across our international business. As President of IDL, he has served as a trusted partner to our developmental licensees helping to navigate complex and fast-evolving markets while building a strong foundation for the future.

I want to thank Dario for his commitment to McDonald's throughout his career and wish him and his family all the best as they return home to Italy.

With Dario's departure, I'm pleased to announce that Matt Murray, currently Senior Vice President of our International Operated Markets (IOM) Business Unit, has been appointed President, International Developmental Licensed Markets, effective January 1, 2027.

Matt brings more than 25 years of experience across general management, marketing and strategy, with a career spanning the U.S., Europe and Asia. Under his leadership, the IOM Business Unit has gained share while bringing McDonald's to more communities through new restaurant openings. Matt has also led important changes to the operating model and talent agenda, establishing Ukraine as a standalone market and bringing the Czech Republic and Slovakia together as one market, creating greater leadership focus and a stronger structure for the future.

Before joining McDonald's, Matt served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of PepsiCo's Gatorade Sports Nutrition Company, overseeing a portfolio of more than $10 billion. He also spent part of his career in Shanghai, leading businesses within PepsiCo China, and served in multiple global category roles.

Throughout his career, Matt has built a strong reputation for developing talent, inspiring high-performing teams, and leading successfully across diverse markets and operating environments. His ability to build both organizational capabilities and strong partnerships will serve our developmental licensees well as he works to bring McDonald's > NEXT to life across IDL.

We will share who will succeed Matt as leader of the IOM Business Unit in the coming weeks.

I'm excited by what's next for IDL. Backed by the scale and capabilities of our System and building on a strong foundation, we are well-positioned to seize the opportunities ahead and become the first choice for more customers, more often in markets around the world.

Chris Kempczinski
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer