McDonald’s Corporation has announced the appointment of Saurabh Chakraborty as Senior Director and Head of AI Engineering, underscoring the company’s commitment to advancing its artificial intelligence initiatives and accelerating digital transformation across global operations.
Chakraborty, a seasoned technology leader with extensive experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data engineering, will play a key role in strengthening McDonald’s AI-driven business capabilities. His appointment reflects McDonald’s growing focus on integrating AI across its customer engagement, supply chain, and operations management systems to enhance efficiency and personalization.
With this appointment, McDonald’s aims to further expand its digital and data-led ecosystem as it continues to evolve into a tech-forward global restaurant brand. Chakraborty’s leadership will be instrumental in shaping the company’s AI roadmap and ensuring that emerging technologies are implemented responsibly, effectively, and at scale.
Before joining McDonald’s, Saurabh Chakraborty held senior leadership roles in AI and technology engineering at several multinational corporations, where he led cross-functional teams to develop scalable machine learning systems and enterprise-grade AI applications. He has been recognized for building high-performing data science teams and for driving innovation through automation and cloud-based AI solutions.
In his new role, Chakraborty will oversee AI engineering efforts across McDonald’s global network, focusing on optimizing processes, enabling predictive analytics, and enhancing customer experiences through intelligent automation. His mandate also includes building a robust AI infrastructure that supports McDonald’s long-term technology vision while maintaining ethical and sustainable practices in AI deployment.
McDonald’s has been actively investing in AI technology over the past few years, leveraging data and automation to improve both customer interactions and back-end operations. The company’s ongoing digital transformation has included initiatives such as personalized menu recommendations, automated order-taking, and advanced analytics to streamline logistics and inventory management. With Chakraborty’s appointment, these efforts are expected to gain additional strategic direction and technical depth.
Under its broader digital innovation strategy, McDonald’s continues to focus on creating a seamless experience across its mobile app, drive-thru, and in-store channels. AI plays a central role in these initiatives by enabling faster order processing, dynamic pricing models, and localized menu personalization. The integration of advanced machine learning systems has already allowed the company to better understand consumer behavior and tailor its offerings accordingly.
Chakraborty’s appointment also signals McDonald’s intent to expand its data science and AI talent base globally. By building an integrated AI engineering function, the company aims to unify efforts across research, development, and implementation, creating a scalable model for future innovation. His expertise is expected to help McDonald’s strengthen collaborations between data scientists, software engineers, and business leaders, driving cross-functional adoption of AI technologies.
Industry observers see this move as a natural progression in McDonald’s ongoing evolution from a traditional quick-service restaurant brand into a technology-driven enterprise. Over the last few years, the company has invested significantly in digital transformation, acquiring and partnering with AI-driven firms to enhance its capabilities in automation and customer analytics.
Saurabh Chakraborty’s experience in large-scale AI architecture and machine learning applications aligns closely with McDonald’s technology ambitions. His leadership will be critical in scaling the company’s AI systems to support millions of customer interactions each day across more than 100 countries. The role also emphasizes McDonald’s continued focus on data-driven decision-making and operational excellence through technology.
In recent years, McDonald’s has increasingly leaned on predictive models to manage supply chain forecasting, workforce scheduling, and restaurant operations. With AI now becoming central to the company’s business strategy, it has also prioritized governance and transparency to ensure responsible innovation. Chakraborty is expected to contribute to this effort by establishing best practices around data ethics, AI explainability, and bias mitigation.
The appointment highlights the growing trend of global quick-service restaurant chains adopting advanced technologies to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital economy. As AI continues to reshape consumer experiences, McDonald’s move reinforces its vision of being a leader not only in food service but also in data intelligence and automation.
Chakraborty’s addition to McDonald’s global technology team represents a broader shift toward AI-centric leadership across industries. His role will bridge the gap between research and practical application, ensuring that McDonald’s continues to innovate responsibly while achieving measurable impact in areas such as operational optimization, energy efficiency, and customer engagement.
As McDonald’s continues to expand its AI capabilities, the company’s focus remains on blending human expertise with machine intelligence to create meaningful experiences for its customers. The appointment of Saurabh Chakraborty is seen as a strategic step in strengthening that vision—anchoring AI at the core of the company’s business strategy while ensuring that innovation aligns with McDonald’s global standards of quality, reliability, and trust.