McDonald’s names Bryan Brown U.S. chief development officer

McDonald’s has appointed Bryan Brown as its new U.S. chief development officer, effective July 14. Brown transitions from a successful tenure as chief development officer at Raising Cane’s, where he oversaw significant expansion, increasing the number of locations from 119 to 828 during his time there. His background also includes roles at JPMorgan Chase in real estate and Brinker International, the parent company of Chili's.

Brown succeeds Tabassum Zalotrawala, who is taking on a position as senior vice president of global development and restaurant design. In his new role at McDonald’s, Brown will focus on accelerating domestic growth as the brand implements its new business strategy, McDonald’s Next. This strategy aims to respond to evolving customer requirements while enhancing operational excellence. Skye Anderson, U.S. chief operating officer, emphasized the importance of Brown's experience in balancing growth, modernization, and operations in meeting the needs of customers, crew, and owner/operators.

The appointment comes during a pivotal time for McDonald's as it seeks to expand its footprint significantly, aiming for 50,000 global restaurants by 2027. After finishing 2025 with 45,356 locations, the company experienced a modest 1.1% unit growth in the U.S. last year, marking its most significant increase in 25 years. Brown's proven track record in driving growth and enhancing unit performance—highlighted by Raising Cane’s achieving typical sales of $6.6 million per location—suggests that he may implement similar strategies to bolster McDonald's development efforts. As McDonald's positions itself for future growth, how effectively Brown can align development initiatives with the brand's modernization goals may be crucial to its success.