Fred Turner has decided to “hang up my spatula.”
That’s how 71-year-old Turner, one of only five CEOs at McDonald’s since 1955 and the last board link to its original leadership, announced his retirement to staff members.
“He’s been a mentor to me for most of my time at McDonald’s,” CEO James Cantalupo said Monday.
Shortly after Cantalupo took the top job a year ago, he invited Turner back into test kitchens to help bring back flavors familiar to McDonald’s signature burgers.
With the company’s original manual in 1958, Turner codified how big a typical fry should be and how long a burger should sit on a griddle. He was made CEO in 1973 and in January 1977 replaced founder Ray Kroc as chairman.
In 1990 he stepped down to become senior chairman and an active player on several boards at McDonald’s overseas operations, including the United Kingdom.