As CEO of McDonald’s Japan, Sarah Casanova oversees all operations and business activities in Japan with approximately 2900 restaurants and 1.4 billion customers served a year.

Under Ms. Casanova’s leadership, the company executed a business turnaround in 2016 and has been experiencing strong growth. McDonald’s Japan’s Same-Store Sales have been increasing since December 2015, and net income and average restaurant sales in 2017 were the highest ever since McDonald’s Japan became a public company.

Ms. Casanova joined McDonald’s in 1991 in Canada and has been with the brand for 27 years, 22 of which she has spent working outside of Canada. She was the first marketing director for McDonald’s in Russia, and has worked in Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Canada, Malaysia and Japan. Her first stint in Japan was from 2004 to 2009 when she served as the Chief Marketing Officer. She then became the Managing Director of Malaysia in 2009, returning to Japan in 2013 as CEO and President of McDonald’s Japan.

Ms. Casanova is a Canadian citizen and earned her MBA degree from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.