Dynamic Duos: Don Thompson and Melody Roberts Of McDonald's On Serving Billions

Don Thompson, CEO
Melody Roberts, senior director, experience design innovation

It's an unlikely pairing: America's most prestigious design museum collaborating with the world's biggest burger–slinging chain. And yet, last year, New York's Cooper–Hewitt tapped Melody Roberts, one of McDonald's senior executives, to join its National Design Awards jury. The council of nine has included Jenna Lyons, Marissa Mayer, Yves Béhar, Martha Stewart, and Tim Gunn.

Reality–show reach aside, Roberts arguably has more influence in more households than any of the above. She's one of the most important senior figures driving the reinvention––the renaissance, really––of McDonald's in the last five years.

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