McDonald’s U.S. marketing chief to retire

Oak Brook-based McDonald’s says its chief marketing officer for the U.S. will leave the company early next year.

The fast-food chain says Neil Golden, 52, will retire in early 2014. A McDonald’s representative said in an email it was too soon to speculate on a replacement. Golden’s departure was first reported by the trade publication Advertising Age.

The change comes as the world’s biggest hamburger chain has struggled to increase sales at home.

Late last year, the company reported its first monthly sales decline in nearly a decade at restaurants open at least a year. Shortly after, McDonald’s Corp. ousted the head of its U.S. business, Jan Fields. She was replaced by Jeff Stratton, who had been the company’ global chief restaurant officer.

Golden, 52, joined the company in 1988.