McDonald’s is “shaking up its operations and development ranks as it seeks to get new menu items and technology to restaurants more quickly,” according to an exclusive article in the Wall Street Journal.

The move comes as Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski said that recent efforts to develop new sandwiches have taken too long. Kempczinski, who has led the QSR since 2019, told the Journal that McDonald’s strategic plans emphasize greater nimbleness, but that the company needs to deploy new products and technology to restaurants faster and improve coordination with stores.

Kempczinski said he hoped that a year from now, the new innovation structure will help McDonald’s win more market share, particularly in beef, chicken and coffee.

Under the new structure, Jill McDonald will become the restaurant’s first chief restaurant experience officer, effective May 1. McDonald currently heads the company’s international division that includes Europe, Canada and Australia.

According to the Journal, in the new role she will lead a team that works across operations, supply chain, franchising, development, design, delivery and the company’s innovation lab. The group will also include executives overseeing the chain’s beef, chicken and beverage businesses across the globe.

“I wanted one person who’s actually looking at all these tech things through the eyes of the restaurant general manager,” Kempczinski said.

McDonald will “oversee the global chief supply-chain officer, helping to ensure that restaurants have the right equipment and processes for handling new menu items.” Charlie Newberger, who currently helps run the company’s CosMc’s offshoot, will lead work on beverages and desserts.

Kempczinski, previously an executive at Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo, told the Journal that adopting a mindset similar to a consumer packaged-food company can help McDonald’s move faster. Having executives focused solely on beverages, for example, can determine where McDonald’s might need to introduce new products, he said.

The Journal reported that McDonald’s is “seeking to regain momentum in a tough environment for fast-food chains.” McDonald’s global same-store sales held steady in 2024 after several years of growth. Overall U.S. restaurant traffic fell 2.8% in 2024 and is projected to decline again this year, according to market-research firm Black Box Intelligence.

In the United States, McDonald’s has slowly regained visits after a deadly E. coli outbreak last year, and the company introduced a new value menu in January.