Jo Feeney begins as Michael Hill CMO after departing McDonald’s
Former McDonald’s director of marketing, Jo Feeney, has begun her role at Michael Hill today, following her January appointment as chief marketing officer.
Feeney was announced as CMO at the same time Amy Sznicer was named the jeweller’s chief retail officer. The appointments came in light of the departures of Michael Hill’s chief brand and strategy officer, Vanessa Brennan, and chief operating officer, Andrea Slingsby.
Jo Feeney has started her CMO role at Michael Hill
Feeney spent seven-and-a-half years with McDonald’s, and led the marketing team during the eight-month search for a replacement for CMO Jenni Dill, following her exit in February last year.
That replacement was revealed in October to be Chris Brown, former CEO of DDB Group Australia and senior vice president of R/GA in New York.
In a statement, a McDonald’s spokesperson said: “Jo Feeney was a key member of the marketing team for McDonald’s Australia for the past seven years. In her role as director of marketing, Jo helped drive the business to achieve significant market growth throughout a period of major consumer change.
“We are excited for Jo as she takes on this new leadership role in one of the country’s most well-known retail brands and wish her all the best for her continued success.”
An announcement about the future of the director of marketing role is yet to be made.
Feeney and Sznicer’s appointments were announced by Michael Hill in a trading update released to the stock exchange in mid-January, in which CEO Daniel Bracken said he looked forward to welcoming the new execs after seeing sales and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) lift over the Christmas period.
“As we emerge from our critical trading period, with a stronger balance sheet, a leaner operating model and evolving strategies, I’m looking forward to welcoming two new leaders, who together with our existing executives, will continue to transform and inspire the business for growth,” Bracken said.
“Considering the global challenges over the last year, I couldn’t be prouder of the dedication, energy and resilience consistently demonstrated by our teams, as we prioritise best-in-class health and safety protocols and continue to delight our loyal customers.”
Writing on LinkedIn, Feeney described her role at Michael Hill as “the start of my next adventure”.
