Dive Brief: 

• McDonald's hired Atif Rafiq, a veteran of both Amazon and Yahoo, as its first-ever chief digital officer. 
• Rafiq's hiring is part of the fast food giant's push to grow e-commerce, help modernize the restaurant experience and connect with mobile consumers as its competitors make efforts to do the same. 
• At Amazon, Rafiq was general manager of Kindle Direct Publishing, while his time at Yahoo included stints as general manager of the Y! Local division and a global product strategy role in the Y! News division.

Dive Insight: 

For a global company like McDonald's, having a strong candidate overseeing digital strategy is crucial. Rafiq is sure to be tested as the company works to make gains against its competitors in mobile marketing and mobile payments. However, his time at Amazon and Yahoo, as well as AOL and Goldman Sachs, should bring the experience necessary to help McDonald's succeed in these efforts.