Alison Gillham was appointed Vice President, Operations in August 2026.
Before stepping into the role, Alison spent a year fully immersed in restaurant operations through the McDonald's Accelerated Operations Programme. Working full-time in restaurants and alongside field leaders and Franchisees across the business, she developed a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver outstanding results at the restaurant level. The experience provided invaluable insight into the drivers of customer satisfaction, team engagement, operational excellence, and long-term business performance.
Since joining McDonald's UK & Ireland in 2020 as Change Director, Alison has established a strong track record of translating strategic vision into tangible business results through insight-led prioritisation and focused execution.
As Chief Technology Officer between 2021 and 2025, she played a key role in modernising the organisation's technology capabilities, strengthening operational resilience, increasing accountability, and ensuring technology investments were closely aligned to the needs and priorities of the business.
Alison’s favourite McDonald’s menu item is the McFlurry.
