McDonald's Hires Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs As New PR Chief

McDonald's, the chain whose global decline in popularity over the last year has been punctuated by poor performance reports across the board and tepidly-received marketing ploys, has hired former Obama administration press secretary Robert Gibbs as its new global chief communications officer.

Gibbs is joined by Silvia Lagnado, formerly of Bacardi, who will be the company's new chief marketing officer.

"Robert and Silvia are both highly respected, talented leaders who will bring a wealth of experience and outside perspective to McDonald's as we build a more modern, progressive burger company," CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a press release.

"In his new role, Gibbs will lead McDonald's corporate relations group, which manages internal and external communications and government and public affairs. He will lead McDonald's in communicating clear, coordinated messages to internal and external constituencies, enhancing the brand and supporting corporate strategies."

The company, which announced its turnaround plan earlier this year, will presumably turn to the new PR team to do a better job of fielding criticism about the company's wage policies, franchise safety issues, and overall public image.