Former McDonald’s executive to head up Halfords

Jill McDonald to take up role almost three months after retailer began search for CEO

Halfords has been seeking a CEO since January, when Davies announced that he planned to step down to join Tesco as head of the supermarket company’s UK operations.  Photograph: Jason Alden/Bloomberg
Halfords has been seeking a CEO since January, when Davies announced that he planned to step down to join Tesco as head of the supermarket company’s UK operations. Photograph: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

Halfords Group Plc hired the head of McDonald's UK operations as its new chief executive officer, ending a near three-month search for a successor to Matt Davies.

Jill McDonald will take charge of the car-parts and bicycle retailer on May 11th, the company said Monday in a statement. She joins after about nine years at McDonald’s, where in addition to being UK CEO she is president of the restaurant chain’s northwest Europe unit.

Ms McDonald “has a strong track record of heading a large, complex, service-led business with great success,” Halfords chairman Dennis Millard said in the statement.

Halfords has been seeking a CEO since January, when Davies announced that he planned to step down to join Tesco as head of the supermarket company’s UK operations.

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Ms McDonald, whose past career includes stints at Colgate- Palmolive Co. and British Airways, will be paid an annual salary of £500,000 plus a bonus of as much as 150 per cent of her salary, prorated to her 2015-2016 service.

Bloomberg