Restaurants
10 McDonald's data and analytics leaders
These ten current and former McDonald's data and analytics leaders have held vice president, senior director and director roles in enterprise data, analytics, AI and data science. A reader can learn how heads of data lead data and analytics organizations in restaurant businesses.
Professionals to explore
01—10Akshay Sahni
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director- Data & Analytics · McDonald's
Senior Director- Data & Analytics at McDonald's since 2023, with a profile headline of Global Head- Data, Analytics & AI Products and Platforms. The profile also lists Global Director- Data & Analytics at McDonald's (2019–2023) and Program Director (CRM, Data & Analytics) at Publicis Sapient (2018–2019).
Benjamin Istvan
LinkedInExperience: VP, Enterprise Data, Analytics & AI - Business Lead · McDonald's
VP, Enterprise Data, Analytics & AI - Business Lead at McDonald's since 2026. Earlier McDonald's roles listed are Senior Director, Enterprise Data, Analytics & AI - Planning & Alignment (2025–2026), Senior Director, Generative AI Business Lead (2024–2025), Senior Director, Global Data Strategy & Governance (2022–2024) and Senior Director, Global Digital Business Insights (2020–2022).
Claire Devaney
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Enterprise Data Analytics & AI · McDonald's
Senior Director, Enterprise Data Analytics & AI at McDonald's since 2026, and Director, Enterprise Data & Analytics and AI there since 2024. Other McDonald's roles listed include Senior Data Product Manager, MarTech Data (since 2023), Product Manager, Customer Data Platform (2022–2023) and Product Manager, Supply Chain Data (2020–2022).
Hazlan Hamdan
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director Data Analytics & Business Insights · McDonald's
Senior Director Data Analytics & Business Insights at McDonald's since 2026, after Director Data & Analytics at McDonald's in Kuala Lumpur (2023–2026). The profile also lists Head of Data Management, Governance & Advance Data Analytics at MISC Berhad (2020–2025).
KC Rakam
LinkedInExperience: Sr Director Data & AI Platforms and Operations · McDonald's
Sr Director Data & AI Platforms and Operations at McDonald's since 2024. The profile describes work on AI enablement, platform transformation and organizational change for large enterprises. It also lists Head of Customer Engineering, Data and AI at Google (2016–2024).
Nikki Wilde
LinkedInExperience: Director, Data Science · McDonald's
Director, Data Science at McDonald's since 2024, with a profile headline of Director of Data Science, Enterprise Data Analytics & AI at McDonald's. Earlier McDonald's roles listed are Interim Senior Manager Data Science (2024) and Senior Data Scientist (2022–2024), and the profile also lists Principal Data Scientist at Verizon (2021–2022).
Patrick Klaus Baginski
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director Data Science Data Analytics · McDonald's
Former Senior Director Data Science Data Analytics at McDonald's in Chicago (2019–2022), a role the profile places at director level. The profile then lists Global Vice President - Data AI at AB InBev (2022–2026) and, since 2026, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at McCain Foods.
Ron Strong
LinkedInExperience: Director, Global Data Architecture & Data Platform · McDonald's
Director, Global Data Architecture & Data Platform at McDonald's since 2021. The profile describes McDonald's as a foodservice retailer with company-owned and franchise operations in 119 countries and more than 40,000 locations, the setting for this global data architecture and platform role.
Wayne Filin-Matthews, B.Sc, M.Sc., F.BCs.
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Data, AI and Enterprise Architecture (Chief Enterprise Architect) · McDonald's
Former Vice President, Data, AI and Enterprise Architecture (Chief Enterprise Architect) at McDonald's (2026), where the profile describes influencing the strategic direction of enterprise-wide technology with a focus on data, AI and architecture. Since 2026 he has been Senior Vice President, Enterprise Architecture and AI at The Walt Disney Company, and the profile also lists a chief enterprise architect role at AstraZeneca (2022–2026).
Zachary Richard
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Data Science · McDonald's
Senior Director, Data Science at McDonald's since 2022, described in the profile as head of data science and analytics engineering within Global Insights & Analytics. Earlier McDonald's roles listed are Director, Global Data Analytics (2019–2022) and Manager, Global Data Science (2019).
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's remit to your question: data science leaders suit questions about models and measurement, while data platform, architecture and data strategy leaders suit questions about infrastructure, governance and operating models. Check whether the role is current or past, and which market it covered, before asking about recent practice.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How should a franchised restaurant company split data and analytics work between a global team and individual markets?
- 02What governance does an enterprise need before generative AI tools can be used safely on company data?
- 03How do you decide which data platform capabilities to build in-house and which to buy?
Reaching McDonald's data and analytics leaders
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Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: McDonald's, based on profile data retrieved on October 8, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
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About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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