Don Thompson (executive) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Thompson
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| Born |
Donald Thompson
March 30, 1963 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | Purdue University, 1984, B.S. (electrical engineering) |
| Occupation | Electrical engineer, Northrop Grumman (1985–1990) McDonald's Executive (1990–2015) CEO, McDonald's Corporation (2012–2015) Board of directors Beyond Meat |
Donald Thompson, born on March 30, 1963, is an American engineer and a successful business leader. He was the head of McDonald's Corporation from 2012 to 2015. He decided to retire from McDonald's in 2015, and Steve Easterbrook took over his role.
Today, he leads Cleveland Avenue, a company he started in 2015. This company helps create and grow new food, drink, and restaurant businesses. For example, Cleveland Avenue has invested in companies like Beyond Meat. Donald Thompson has also been on the board of directors for Beyond Meat since 2015.
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Early Life and Education
Donald Thompson was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up near the Cabrini–Green housing project. He was a very smart student and started sixth grade when he was just 10 years old. In seventh grade, he even started carrying a briefcase to school!
Because of increasing crime in his neighborhood during the late 1960s and 1970s, his grandmother moved him to live with relatives in Indianapolis. There, he attended North Central High School.
Thompson later went to Purdue University. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1984. He also has an honorary doctorate degree from Excelsior College. Thompson is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Career Journey
Donald Thompson is an electrical engineer by trade. Before joining McDonald's, he worked for a company that made military aircraft. This company is now part of Northrop Grumman.
Joining McDonald's
In 1990, Thompson joined McDonald's. He was hired to design special equipment for moving food and to create control systems for cooking. A recruiter from McDonald's was looking for an engineer to work on "robotics, control circuitry and feedback loops." Thompson visited the McDonald's headquarters near Chicago and was soon hired. He joined the company's Black Career Development program. This program helps all employees learn about different cultures and helps minority employees succeed in the company.
Rising Through the Ranks
Thompson quickly moved up in McDonald's. By 1992, he became a Project Manager. He then moved into Operations in 1994. For six months, he worked in a South Chicago McDonald's restaurant. He learned how to manage a restaurant, starting as a fry cook and working his way up to co-manager.
By 1998, Thompson was promoted to regional manager for the San Diego, California area. He was in charge of 350 restaurants. His next promotion made him Senior Vice President of the Midwest Division, overseeing 2,200 restaurants. After that, he became president of the West Division, responsible for 4,000 restaurants.
Leading McDonald's
In 2005, Thompson became the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for all McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. In 2006, he became the President of McDonald's USA and McDonald's Restaurants of Canada. In 2007, he took on the role of Chief Operating Officer for the entire global company.
On July 1, 2012, Donald Thompson became the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of McDonald's Corporation. He took over from the retiring Jim Skinner. He was not the first person considered for the job, but he eventually earned the top position.
In 2014, McDonald's saw a decrease in customer visits. Because of this, Thompson announced that he would step down from his CEO position on March 1, 2015.
After McDonald's
In 2014, Thompson and his wife started a nonprofit organization called The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education. In 2015, they also founded Cleveland Avenue LLC, a company that invests in food and beverage businesses. Both names honor the Chicago street where he and his wife grew up.
One of their nonprofit's biggest projects is The 1954 Project, launched in 2020. This project aims to provide $100 million to support Black educators.
In November 2015, it was announced that Thompson joined the board of directors for Beyond Meat. This company makes plant-based meat alternatives.
Thompson also serves on the board of directors for other important organizations. These include Ronald McDonald House Charities, Catalyst, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He is also a member of Purdue University's board of trustees.
