As Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Tariq Hassan leads all marketing efforts -- including digital, media, CRM, brand content and engagement, consumer insights, and menu strategy -- to create holistic, compelling brand experiences for customers of the 14,000-plus McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. His team leverages iconic brand and digital capabilities to ensure McDonald’s continues to deliver powerful experiences that create authentic connections with customers.

Prior to joining McDonald’s, Tariq spent more than 20 years in global marketing, communications, innovation and insights with premier brands. He began his career in advertising and was a founding partner of the largest ad agency startup in U.S. history. He then held marketing and brand leadership roles with HP, Omnicom Group, and Bank of America before joining Petco as Chief Marketing Officer. There, he was recognized with the Adweek Brand Genius Award, the marketing and branding world’s consummate honor, for his bold thinking and imaginative approach. His leadership in repositioning the company from a pet supply store to a category-defining lifestyle pet brand was instrumental in Petco’s successful IPO in 2021.

A values-driven leader who is passionate about creating diverse and inclusive teams, Tariq was named an Adweek DEI Champion. He served as the executive sponsor for Petco’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) advisory council and LGBTQ employee resource group, and he was a board member of the Adweek DE&I and ANA CMO Growth councils. Since 2014, he has sat on the global board of Education for Employment, a non-governmental organization that empowers marginalized youth across the Middle East and North Africa. Additionally, he worked with the Obama administration on efforts to counter-message young Americans at risk to religious extremism and systemic discrimination.

Tariq earned an honors bachelor’s degree from Western University in Ontario and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University where he sits on the Medill School Board of Advisers.