Margaret Georgiadis
MCDONALDSAbout Margaret Georgiadis
Independent director with 10 years of service on McDonald’s Board; age 61. She is Co‑Founder and CEO of Montai Therapeutics and brings deep operating and technology credentials from prior leadership roles at Ancestry, Mattel, Google, and McKinsey. She is designated an “audit committee financial expert,” underscoring strong financial oversight capabilities. Independence affirmed by the Board under NYSE standards.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montai Therapeutics (formerly Montai Health) | Co‑Founder & Chief Executive Officer | 2022 – Present | Company leadership; healthcare/tech operating expertise |
| Flagship Pioneering | CEO‑Partner | 2022 – Present | Bioplatform innovation perspective |
| Synetro Group | Managing Partner | 2021 – Present | Private investment/strategy, value creation lens |
| General Catalyst | Endurance Partner‑in‑Residence (XIR) | 2021 – 2022 | Scaling/operating counsel to growth companies |
| Ancestry | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2018 – 2020 | Consumer subscription/data platform leadership |
| Mattel, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 2017 – 2018 | Global consumer brand turnaround perspective |
| Google Inc. | President, Americas | 2011 – 2017 | Digital, e‑commerce, data/marketing scale experience |
| McKinsey & Company | Consultant/Partner | 15+ years | Strategy/analytics background |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AppLovin Corporation | Director | Public | Current public company board service |
| Flagship Pioneering | CEO‑Partner | Private | Portfolio/bioplatform innovation |
| Synetro Group | Managing Partner | Private | Investment/strategic advisory |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit & Finance Committee (member; qualifies as Audit Committee Financial Expert) and Governance Committee (member).
- Independence: Board determined all non‑management directors, including Ms. Georgiadis, are independent under NYSE and company standards.
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 7 times in 2024; directors averaged 96% attendance and each attended at least 75%; all directors elected at the 2024 meeting attended the 2024 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.
- Board tenure: 10 years on MCD’s Board.
- Governance environment: Robust director stock ownership requirements; no director hedging/pledging permitted. Lead Independent Director role formalized to strengthen independent oversight.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $120,000 | Standard non‑management director cash retainer |
| Annual equity grant (Common Stock Equivalent Units) | $203,060 (grant‑date fair value) | Board raised LT equity component by $5,000 effective May 22, 2024; credited under Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan |
| All other compensation | $10,000 | Company charitable match (no perquisites >$10,000) |
| Total 2024 director compensation | $333,060 | Sum of cash, equity grant value, and other compensation |
Program structure and mechanics:
- Equity is delivered as common stock equivalent units (CSEUs) credited to a deferred account tracking McDonald’s stock; units are settled in cash following departure from the Board; directors may defer retainers into additional CSEUs.
- Committee chair retainers: $30,000 (Audit & Finance Chair); $25,000 (Compensation, Governance, Corporate Responsibility Chairs). Lead Independent Director received an additional $50,000 retainer in 2024 (context for program levels).
- 2024 change: +$5,000 to long‑term equity component; no other program changes.
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance‑conditioned awards (no STIP, PSUs, or options). Annual equity is time/departure‑settled CSEUs; no performance metrics apply to director pay.
| Director Equity Design | Terms |
|---|---|
| Instrument | Common Stock Equivalent Units (CSEUs) under Directors’ Plan |
| Settlement | Deferred; paid in cash after leaving the Board (lump sum or installments as elected) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for directors |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| AppLovin Corporation | Director | No McDonald’s related‑party transactions reported since Jan 1, 2024; Board independence affirmed. |
Related‑party and conflicts policy:
- Board maintains a written policy to review, approve/ratify related person transactions; considers arm’s‑length terms and materiality. None reported since January 1, 2024.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial oversight: Audit Committee Financial Expert; extensive finance and strategy experience.
- Technology, digital, cybersecurity, and marketing expertise from senior roles at Google and consumer technology platforms.
- Global consumer operating leadership and transformation experience (Ancestry, Mattel), plus strategy/analytics foundation (McKinsey).
Equity Ownership
| As of March 1, 2025 | Common Stock (Shares) | Common Stock Equivalents (Units) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Georgiadis | 2,130 | 10,026 | 12,156 |
- Cumulative outstanding stock awards (CSEUs) at 12/31/2024: 10,026. Settlement occurs post‑Board service under the Directors’ Plan.
- Shares outstanding for context: 715,072,124 (as of record date March 24, 2025). Approximate ownership ≈ 0.0017% (calculated from reported holdings and shares outstanding).
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths for investor confidence
- Deep digital, data, and operating expertise aligned with MCD’s technology‑enabled growth (digital, loyalty, data/AI) and risk areas (cybersecurity).
- Strong financial stewardship credentials (Audit & Finance member; Audit Committee Financial Expert), supporting robust oversight of reporting, controls, capital structure, and cyber/data risk.
- Clear independence, clean related‑party profile, and high Board attendance culture bolster governance quality.
- Director pay balanced between cash and deferred equity with no performance gaming risk; hedging/pledging prohibited; robust stock ownership framework promotes alignment.
-
Potential watch‑items
- External CEO role and one additional public board seat necessitate continued monitoring under MCD’s overboarding policy (max three other public boards; she currently serves on one). No issues disclosed.
- No director‑specific attendance disclosure beyond companywide thresholds; continue to monitor future proxies for any variance.
-
Bottom line: Georgiadis enhances Board effectiveness in audit/finance oversight and technology/cyber risk, with clear independence, clean conflict profile, and aligned incentives—supportive of investor confidence in governance.