James A. Skinner
James Alan Skinner | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1944 Moline, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Corporate executive |
| Years active | 1971–2014 (approximate) |
| Known for | CEO of McDonald's Corporation, Executive Chairman of Walgreens Boots Alliance |
James Alan Skinner (born 1944) is a prominent American corporate leader. He held the position of executive chairman at Walgreens Boots Alliance and previously served as vice chairman and chief executive officer of McDonald's Corporation.
Early life
Skinner was born in Moline, Illinois and raised in Davenport, Iowa, completing his secondary education at Davenport West High School in 1962. He enlisted in the United States Navy from 1962 until 1971, attaining the rank of Fire Control Technician 1st Class. During his service, he was assigned to the aircraft carriers USS Oriskany (CVA-34) and USS Midway (CVA-41), including active deployment during the Vietnam War.
McDonald's
Starting his career at McDonald's in 1971, Skinner joined as a restaurant manager trainee in Carpentersville, Illinois. Although he enrolled at Roosevelt University, he departed after two years. Prior to ascending to CEO, he occupied several senior roles such as President and COO of McDonald's Restaurant Group, responsible for operations across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Additionally, he led McDonald's Japan Limited, which ranks as the company’s second-largest market.
Elevated to CEO in 2004, Skinner redirected McDonald's focus towards customer-centric strategies and global consistency. His signature program, the "Plan to Win," halted profit declines by prioritizing improvements in existing stores rather than rapid expansion. This initiative concentrated on enhancing service speed, food quality, atmosphere, value propositions, and marketing efforts. Under his guidance, McDonald's revenue increased from $50.1 billion in 2004 to $70.1 billion by 2008.
After a 41-year tenure with McDonald's, Skinner stepped down as Vice Chairman and CEO on June 30, 2012. That year, his total compensation amounted to $27.7 million.
Other
By 2014, Skinner held board memberships at several leading companies:
- Hewlett-Packard (since 2013)
- Illinois Tool Works (since 2005)
- McDonald's (since 2004)
- Walgreens Boots Alliance (since 2005), where he serves as Chairman
He has also participated in political campaigns including those for John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney for President.
Awards and recognition
In 2009, Chief Executive honored Skinner as CEO of the Year. Five years later, in 2014, he was awarded the Lone Sailor Award by the United States Navy Memorial.
Personal life
Skinner married his spouse in Chicago in 1969.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1944 births
- Living people
- American chairpersons of corporations
- American chief executives of food industry companies
- Businesspeople from Iowa
- McDonald's people
- People from Davenport, Iowa
- Hewlett-Packard people
- People from Moline, Illinois
- Walgreens people
- United States Navy non-commissioned officers
- United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War