Kareem Daniel
MCDONALDSAbout Kareem Daniel
Independent director of McDonald’s Corporation; age 50; joined the Board in 2022 and stands for re‑election in 2025, with two years of board tenure as of the proxy date . Former Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, with deep experience in digital, direct‑to‑consumer, distribution/commercialization, corporate development and transformation across Disney divisions . Independent under NYSE standards; all non‑management director nominees, including Daniel, were determined independent by the Board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Walt Disney Company | Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution | 2020–2022 | Led DTC e‑commerce creation and new distribution/commercialization models; transformation across divisions |
| The Walt Disney Company | President, Consumer Products; Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO | 2020 | Corporate development, strategic support to CEO |
| Walt Disney Imagineering | President, Operations, Product Creation, Publishing & Games | 2019–2020 | Product creation and operations leadership |
| Walt Disney Imagineering | EVP, Global Business Operations | 2017–2019 | Global business operations leadership |
| Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media | SVP, Strategy & Business Development | 2011–2017 | Strategy/business development for consumer products and interactive media |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | Daniel has no current public company directorships |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and engagement:
- Audit & Finance Committee: Member; 8 meetings in 2024 .
- Compensation Committee: Member; 4 meetings in 2024 .
- Corporate Responsibility Committee: Member; 3 meetings in 2024 .
- Independence: Independent non‑management director .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in 2024; directors attended on average 96% of Board and applicable committee meetings, with each director at least 75%; all directors elected at the 2024 meeting attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Executive sessions: Regular executive sessions of independent directors; Lead Independent Director presides when appropriate .
- Other governance policies: Directors prohibited from hedging/pledging company stock; proxy access and majority voting framework in place .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $120,000 |
| Stock awards (grant‑date fair value; common stock equivalent units) | $203,060 |
| All other compensation (charitable match) | $10,000 |
| Total | $333,060 |
Program structure (non‑management directors):
- Annual cash retainer: $120,000 .
- Annual grant of common stock equivalent units: $205,000 value under the Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan .
- Committee chair retainers: Audit & Finance Chair $30,000; Compensation/Governance/Corporate Responsibility Chairs $25,000; Lead Independent Director received additional $50,000 cash retainer in 2024 (context: Miles White) .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Performance Metrics | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Common stock equivalent units (Director equity) | None (not performance‑based) | Credited at grant‑date closing price; settle in cash upon leaving Board; optional deferral elections; dividends/gains/losses tracked notionally |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Interlocks/Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | None disclosed; no related‑party transactions since Jan 1, 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Digital, direct‑to‑consumer, information technology/cybersecurity, marketing, finance/capital markets, global experience; brand and customer‑centric orientation aligned to McDonald’s “Accelerating the Arches” strategy .
- Corporate development and transformation leadership at Disney supports strategy, business development and commercialization discussions on MCD’s Board .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Common Stock | Common Stock Equivalents | Total Units/Shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kareem Daniel | 145 | 1,592 | 1,737 |
- Cumulative outstanding stock awards (equivalents) as of Dec 31, 2024: 1,592 .
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Own shares equal to 5× annual cash retainer within five years; all directors currently in compliance .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors and officers .
- Group ownership: Directors and executive officers as a group owned less than 1% of common stock as of March 1, 2025 .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Daniel’s committee mix (Audit & Finance, Compensation, Corporate Responsibility) embeds him in financial oversight, pay design, and sustainability/human capital topics—consistent with his operational and digital background .
- Independence and conflicts: Board determined him independent; no related‑party transactions disclosed for 2024–2025; outside board service policies limit overboarding risk .
- Attendance and engagement: Board/committee cadence suggests robust oversight (A&F 8, CC 4, CRC 3); directors averaged 96% attendance, indicating strong engagement .
- Director pay & alignment: Balanced cash retainer and equity via common stock equivalents; ownership guidelines at 5× retainer and prohibitions on hedging/pledging support alignment with shareholders .
- RED FLAGS:
- Section 16(a) late filing: Daniel’s purchases of 145 shares across Nov 3–9, 2022 were reported on a Form 4 filed Feb 14, 2025; while remedied, it is a minor compliance lapse to monitor .
- No other red flags identified: No pledging, no related‑party transactions since Jan 1, 2024; director independence affirmed .