[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]McDonald’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner today announced that Tim Fenton, currently President of McDonald’s Asia, Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) and 39-year veteran with the Company, has been elected to the role of Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for the company’s more than 33,500 restaurants worldwide. Fenton will assume his new role effective July 1, 2012.

Fenton, 54, was elected by the McDonald’s Board of Directors today upon the recommendation of Skinner and CEO-Elect Don Thompson. As announced last month, current COO Thompson will become President and Chief Executive Officer on July 1, 2012, following the retirement of Skinner. Fenton will continue to report to Thompson.

“Tim is one of our most seasoned global leaders and has done a remarkable job growing our international business,” said Skinner. “He has extensive experience, knowledge and passion for our brand and has been an integral part of McDonald’s global success.”

Over his nearly 40-year career with McDonald’s, Fenton has held a variety of prominent leadership roles in Europe, the U.S., and APMEA.

“Tim and his team have dramatically increased our performance and profitability in APMEA -- through their strong strategies and outstanding execution of our Plan to Win,” said Thompson. “He’s a superb operations leader who complements our strong management team as we focus on our global priorities -- optimizing the menu, modernizing our customer experience, and broadening our accessibility to even more customers.”

“I’m honored to serve McDonald’s in this new capacity and look forward to working closely with our leadership teams around the world to continue to elevate our brand and make our system even stronger,” said Fenton.