McDonald's Splits U.S. Marketing Roles as CMO Alyssa Buetikofer Exits

By James Calloway

McDonald's is splitting its top U.S. marketing responsibilities after U.S. CMO Alyssa Buetikofer exits the chain following 15 years with the company, according to Adweek's roundup of marketing leadership moves for the week to Nov. 6.

Global CMO Morgan Flatley will take on an additional role as interim U.S. chief creative officer. Charlie Newberger becomes interim svp and U.S. chief marketing and commercial officer. Both appointments hold while McDonald's searches for a permanent CMO.

The moves were among the biggest U.S. and global hires, exits, and promotions tracked in the week ending Nov. 6 — a stretch Adweek noted came despite the midterms dominating the news cycle.

What else moved this week?

Two other leadership changes stood out in the same weekly roundup:

• Netflix hired Mattel veteran Roberto Stanichi as vp of global consumer products and experiences.
• Kimberly-Clark appointed Jonathan Halvorson as CMO to lead marketing following its $40 billion Kenvue acquisition.

The Kimberly-Clark appointment is the largest in dollar terms of the week's changes, with Halvorson stepping into the top marketing seat as the company digests a $40 billion deal.

What does the McDonald's split signal?

Splitting the U.S. CMO role between a global creative leader and a commercial-side executive is a structural choice, not just a stopgap title shuffle. Flatley keeping the global CMO job while adding interim U.S. creative duties puts brand direction in one pair of hands during the transition. Newberger's mandate — marketing and commercial together — ties campaigns closer to sales accountability.

Buetikofer's departure ends a 15-year run at the chain. That's a long tenure for a top marketing seat, and it leaves McDonald's U.S. with two interim leaders rather than one until a permanent CMO is named.

Netflix's hire of Stanichi, meanwhile, signals continued investment in consumer products and experiences beyond the core streaming business — the division where Mattel built its reputation in toys and licensing.

The through-line across the week: three major marketers restructured their top marketing benches in seven days, and McDonald's, the largest of them, did it without a successor ready to step in. Expect the permanent CMO search to define McDonald's U.S. marketing story into the weeks ahead.