Ronald McDonald won’t retire, CEO says after protests

May 21, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO

McDonald’s Corp. Chief Executive Jim Skinner was unequivocal in his support of company mascot Ronald McDonald, who came under fire from two investors at the company’s annual meeting Thursday.

“Ronald McDonald is not retiring,” Skinner said, prompting the audience to applaud. Skinner added sternly: “He is a force for good. ... He does not hawk food.”

Deborah Lapidus, senior organizer at Corporate Accountability International, had called for the retirement of Ronald McDonald and the end of marketing to children.

At the entrance of the McDonald’s campus, costumed activists from Corporate Accountability waved signs at arriving attendees in a reprise of the protest they had Wednesday in downtown Chicago.

Lapidus’ remarks during the meeting were met with boos from the audience.

Later in the meeting, a retired physician also asked for the company to stop using Ronald McDonald. This time, audience members called out, “No, no,” from their seats.

Other shareholders were effusive in their praise of the company, including one man who said he likes McDonald’s coffee and requested that a decaf latte be added to the menu. Chief Operating Officer Don Thompson said demand for decaf specialty, espresso-based drinks appeared to be tepid when the company studied the issue a few years ago, but that McDonald’s could revisit the matter.

A “say on pay” proposal failed to pass at McDonald’s annual shareholders meeting.

The resolution, which would have given investors an advisory vote on executive compensation, garnered just 40.8 percent support in a preliminary tally at the meeting, which was Thursday morning at McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill.

Proposals from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society advocating a different method of slaughter for chickens and the greater use of cage-free eggs in the U.S. also failed to pass.

Each of those resolutions received less than 5 percent support.