McDonald's picks Briton as global chief

London - The 91 000 people working in Britain for McDonald's learned on Thursday that their former boss, Steve Easterbrook, had become the first Briton to lead the US fast-food giant's global operation.

Easterbrook, aged 47, is only the second non-American chief. The first was Australia's Charlie Bell, who joined at 15 and was boss until a few months before he died in 2005.

Easterbrook ran McDonald's Europe's 7 000 outlets in 2010 but left the following year to head Pizza Express and later Wagamamas before rejoining McDonald's in 2013.

His appointment comes as the restaurant chain battles declining sales in the US.

Bell, the originator of the McCafe concept, spent his whole career with McDonald's. Easterbrook joined in a management role after working as a business consultant.