McDonald’s USA has announced Valerie Ashbaugh as Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President, effective August 1, 2025, as part of a strategic leadership swap. Ashbaugh brings extensive experience leading global technology teams and driving enterprise-wide transformation.
She most recently led the transformation of McDonald’s consumer and restaurant platforms, delivering scalable innovations such as loyalty, Ready on Arrival, new ordering channels, and the company’s most stable point-of-sale platform to date, Sesame. Ashbaugh also spearheaded the integration of AI-driven solutions in rapid development and oversaw the expansion of engineering teams in Mexico and India, helping to scale modern capabilities across the organization.
Ashbaugh will lead technology strategy and execution across nearly 14,000 U.S. restaurants, leveraging her global product background to accelerate innovation, strengthen operations, and elevate customer and crew experiences.
“Valerie is known for her authentic leadership style, ability to motivate diverse global teams, and her consistent delivery of operational excellence,” said McDonald’s USA President, Joe Erlinger, and McDonald’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer, Brian Rice, in a letter to the McDonald’s system.
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