Marketing, data analytics, digital customer engagement and McDonald’s new loyalty program will all fall under his purview.

“Our customers should be able to move seamlessly between the in-store, takeaway and delivery service channels so that we offer even more convenience and better personalization,” Kempczinski said in a message to the McDonald’s system viewed by CNBC. “As I thought about this future, I concluded that we needed to remove some internal barriers and silos that ultimately lead to a fragmented customer experience.”

Steijaert has worked for McDonald’s since 2001, but his ties to the fast-food giant date back several more decades. His parents used to be McDonald’s franchisees in Belgium. Since 2019, he has served as vice president of international operated markets, a segment that includes France and Australia.

Shares of McDonald’s have risen 13% this year, giving it a market value of $181 billion. The company is expected to report its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday.