Wendy's Hires McDonald's Former Marketing Chief to Rebuild the Brand

Wendy's has named Tariq Hassan, McDonald's former U.S. chief marketing officer, to the newly created role of chief marketing and customer growth officer. The appointment is effective immediately, with Hassan reporting to company president and CEO Bob Wright and succeeding Lindsay Radkoski, who had served as U.S. CMO since 2023.

At McDonald's, Hassan led efforts to strengthen the brand through digital channels and loyalty programs, and spearheaded culturally resonant campaigns — including the adult Happy Meal and Grimace's birthday — that meaningfully boosted sales and audience engagement.

The appointment comes as Wendy's works through a sixth straight quarter of falling same-store sales, including a 7% decline in the second quarter of 2026. Wright himself joined the company in May, after more than five years successfully running the Potbelly chain.

"Tariq's appointment is an important next step in getting Wendy's back on a path to profitable growth," Wright said. On the earnings call with investors, he was even more blunt: "We need to bring more focus to our marketing. We've relied too heavily on a calendar of one-off promotions and partnerships instead of a consistent, relevant story rooted in our brand values."

The comment isn't accidental: a decade ago Wendy's built its reputation on a sharp, fearless social-media voice, but it never consistently converted that online buzz into real sales — not even a partnership with Netflix's "Wednesday" fully turned things around.