Jim Skinner

James Alan Skinner (born 1944) is an American business executive. He is currently the chairman of Walgreens. He was the Vice Chairman and CEO of McDonald's Corporation from 2004 until his retirement from the McDonald's Corporation in 2012, where he was succeeded by McDonalds USA president and new incoming CEO Don Thompson. Skinner began his career with McDonald's in 1971 as a restaurant manager trainee in Carpentersville, IL. Skinner replaced a the outgoing CEO, Charlie Bell, who had been appointed to the position in 2002 before being diagnosed with colon cancer, which caused him to resign from the post that November; he died in January 2005.

Biography
Born in Illinois, Skinner graduated high school in 1962 at West High School in Davenport, Iowa, he went on to start serving nearly ten years in the United States Navy, Skinner began his career with McDonald’s as a restaurant manager trainee in Carpentersville, Illinois in 1971, and since then has held numerous leadership positions. He never graduated from college, attending Roosevelt University in Chicago before dropping out after his sophmore year. He started out like so many other teenagers, working as an entry-level crew person at the old McDonald’s on Brady Street in Davenport. Prior to becoming CEO, Skinner was President and Chief Operating Officer of the McDonald's Restaurant Group with corporate management responsibility for Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), and Latin America. Prior to that, he was responsible for McDonald’s Japan Limited, their second-largest market. Skinner held numerous positions in the U.S. Corporation, including Director of Field Operations, Market Manager, Regional Vice President and U.S. Senior Vice President and Zone Manager.

McDonald's CEO
Jim Skinner was named CEO of McDonald's Corp. in 2004 and refocused the company on customer strategies, business disciplines and close global alignment. Jim Skinner was succeeded as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for McDonald’s Corporation by Don Thompson on June 30, 2012. Vice Chairman was a position that he held before becoming CEO in November 2004. Beginning his career with McDonald’s in 1971, Skinner quickly advanced and held many leadership positions during his 39 years with McDonald’s. These positions include President and Chief Operating Officer of the McDonald's Restaurant Group and President and Chief Operating Officer of McDonald's - Europe, Asia, Pacific and Middle East. Along with his current positions, he also serves on the Board of McDonald's Corporation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Walgreen Company, ITW (Illinois Tool Works), and Hewlett-Packard Co. His greatest accomplishment, the “Plan to Win” strategy, managed to flip the company by reversing its falling profits. This strategy focused on improving on locations that already existed instead of expanding and building more. They hoped to achieve “faster, friendlier service; tastier food; a more appealing ambiance; better value; and sharper marketing.” By shifting strategies, Skinner and his team were able to increase McDonald’s total sales, increasing from $50.1 billion in 2004 to $70.1 billion in 2008.

Skinner retired as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on June 30, 2012 after 41 years with McDonald's.

Awards and recognition
In 2009, Skinner was named CEO of the Year by Chief Executive magazine and one of "The TopGun CEOs" by Brendan Wood International, an advisory agency.