FAST FOOD NATION

McDonald’s President Stepping Down

Amid poor financial returns.

Hopefully, McDonald’s president, Jan Fields, won’t be asking, “Would you like fries with that?” anytime soon. The U.S. head of operations is stepping down after two years on the job, following a decision made by senior management. The fast food giant has been suffering uncharacteristically poor financial results—profits fell 3.5 percent in the third quarter this year—and copycat competitors are rising, though analysts don’t think Fields’s departure is related. “The time was right for this leadership change,” company spokeswoman Lisa McComb said. Fields will depart Dec. 1, and will be replaced by Jeff Stratton, currently McDonald’s global chief restaurant officer.