TORONTO — McDonald’s Canada has named Michele Boudria as the company’s new president and chief executive officer and the first woman to hold that title at the company. She succeeds Jacques Mignault, who has been tapped to lead the McDonald’s business in France effective June 1.

Ms. Boudria returns to Canada from The Netherlands, where she was managing director of the Dutch market. She joined McDonald's Canada as a crew member in 1984 and has since taken on progressively more senior roles in the restaurants, in the field and in the global and regional corporate offices, the company said.

Ms. Boudria played a leadership role in the Worldwide Operations team based in Chicago from 2011-15. Upon returning to Canada in 2015, she joined the Canada Leadership Team as McCafé Officer and guided her teams to sustained and consistent periods of growth, McDonald’s Canada said. In 2018, she was named West Regional vice president and established herself as a strong partner to the owner/operators in the region. She was named managing director of the Dutch market in 2021.

“With her impressive and varied tenure working across our organization for three decades, Michele is renowned for her strong history of developing long-lasting and trusted relationships across all areas of our business, and she leaves the Dutch market in a strong position,” said Ian Borden, president, International, McDonald’s Corp. “I’m confident that with Michele’s unrivalled experience, passion for the restaurants and unwavering focus on talent, she will build on the strong foundations Jacques has created and will continue to take the Canadian market from strength to strength.”

Mr. Mignault has worked for McDonald’s for more than 47 years. He was named president and CEO of McDonald’s Canada in August 2020, following a successful three-year tenure as managing director of McDonald’s Switzerland, where he is credited with leading the Swiss market to achieve record results.

At McDonald’s Canada, Mr. Mignault is lauded for his leadership during the pandemic. He is credited for strengthening the brand’s digital business; launching new initiatives like MyMcDonald’s Rewards and helping the brand emerge as the top delivery provider in Canada with third-party delivery apps, the company said.

“Jacques is a trusted partner and mentor to many in our global system,” Ms. Borden said. “With his extensive experience managing large and complex markets, proven track record in leading high-performing teams and strong ability to foster a growth mindset, I am confident that Jacques will continue to build on this momentum to take the French business to new heights.”