McDonald's names Skye Anderson US president after miss

McDonald's Corporation appointed a new leader for its U.S. business on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, following a disappointing quarterly performance in its largest market. The fast-food giant named company veteran Skye Anderson as president of McDonald's USA, replacing Joe Erlinger, who is stepping down after leading the division since 2019.

Anderson, a 26-year McDonald's employee who most recently served as U.S. chief operating officer, assumes the role effective immediately. She will oversee approximately 14,000 restaurants. Erlinger, a more than two-decade veteran with the company, will stay on as an advisor to assist with the transition until early 2027.

The leadership change was announced alongside the company's second-quarter earnings, which revealed a significant slowdown in U.S. growth. Same-store sales in the United States rose just 0.8%, missing analyst expectations and marking the slowest growth since early 2025. The modest increase was driven entirely by customers spending more per visit, as overall guest traffic declined. This compared to U.S. same-store sales growth of 2.5% in the same period a year earlier.

In an earnings call, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski...