Chief marketing officer Tariq Hassan has left McDonald’s. 

On Monday, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger posted a letter on the company’s website which revealed that Hassan had resigned from his post shortly after the holidays. 

Alyssa Buetikofer, CMO of McDonald’s Canada, will succeed Hassan in his role as chief marketing and customer experience officer, effective Feb. 15. 

Hassan will stay on through most of Q1 to manage the transition.  

“As I know we can all appreciate, he’s at a point now where he feels the team and the work is in very strong shape, a strong successor has been identified to lead the team forward, and time with his daughter before she heads off to college in the fall and time with his wife after many years of being remote, takes precedence,” Erlinger said of Hassan in his letter to staff. 

Hassan has led marketing at McDonald’s since 2021. Under his leadership, the QSR giant released popular campaigns including Fan Truths and revived its Grimace mascot in a campaign that went viral on TikTok. 

“Tariq’s leadership helped us to transform into a data-driven, digital business, driving growth and building new capabilities to fortify our brand into the future,” Erlinger said. “His principles and his values are unwavering, and on behalf of our entire System, I want to thank Tariq for his impact and wish him and his wonderful family all the best in his next chapter.

Prior to McDonald’s, Hassan was the CMO of Petco for three years, and has held marketing executive roles at HP and Bank of America. He has also worked at agencies including FCB, Leo Burnett and Omnicom. 

Buetikofer joined McDonald’s in 2011 and has held roles across three geographies and five departments, according to Erlinger’s note.

Most recently, she launched the MyMcDonald’s Rewards program in Canada as well a new menu items, like the McCrispy and Chicken Big Mac. During her time on the U.S. marketing team, she was one of the minds behind the Famous Orders brand platform.

“She is a clear, thoughtful communicator and an experienced leader who truly embraces the critical role marketing plays in how we connect with our customers, inspire brand loyalty and grow our business, Erlinger said.