Age: 42
He’s lovin’ it: Rafiq left Amazon two years ago to become the fast-food chain’s (MCD) first chief digital officer. His mission? Transform its business with technology. “We know where we have strength and what people know us for. We’re not trying to get into something that’s foreign to us.”
Special Sauce: The former Kindle Direct Publishing chief built a digital unit from scratch, recruiting hundreds of techies from Google (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), and others. He also sparked partnerships with Silicon Valley players like Postmates, which will deliver McNuggets straight to your McHome.
New ways to love: Recent initiatives include hands-free payments and automated kiosks where customers can order their food. “We’re constantly looking at major trends.”
Supersized: Rafiq’s rapidly expanding team now includes offices in Chicago, San Francisco, and other major cities.
He believes in magic: In March, Rafiq created a virtual-reality experience that let people step into a Happy Meal. “VR is relevant to us.”
A version of this article appears in the April 1, 2016 issue of Coins2Day with the headline “Atif Rafiq, Chief Digital Officer, McDonald’s.”