McDonald's has named former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs as its global chief communications officer, as the fast-food giant looks to improve its image.
The world's biggest hamburger chain said Tuesday that Gibbs will manage the company's communications and government affairs and help to improve its well-known brand. He replaces Bridget Coffing, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
Gibbs served as President Obama's first White House press secretary and as a senior adviser during the president's re-election campaign. He then co-founded The Incite Agency, a strategic communications advisory firm.
McDonald's Corp.'s CEO, Steve Easterbrook, said in a company statement that both Gibbs and new Chief Marketing Officer Silvia Lagnado will offer a wealth of experience and outside perspective "as we build a more modern, progressive burger company."
Lagnado created Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" and spent more than 20 years at consumer products maker Unilever Plc. She also has worked as chief marketing officer for Bacardi Ltd.
Easterbrook took over as CEO in March and has been fighting to revive sluggish sales for the Oak Brook, Illinois, company, which has more than 36,000 locations globally. McDonald's said Monday that sales from established locations dipped last month, with weakness in the U.S. and some overseas markets.
The company's turnaround plan includes a restructuring to strip away layers of bureaucracy and selling more company-owned restaurants to franchisees around the world.
Shares of McDonald's fell 59 cents to close Tuesday at $94.73. The stock had climbed about 1 percent so far this year, about the same as the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
Canada orders TikTok’s Canadian business to be dissolved but won’t block app
Canada announced Wednesday it won't block access to the popular video-sharing app TikTok but is ordering the dissolution of its Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind it.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said it is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
"The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," Champagne said.
Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information.
He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security. He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of local jobs.
"We will challenge this order in court," the spokesperson said. "The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive."
TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny... Read More