East Division President - McDonald's USA

Rick Colón is President of the East Division of McDonald’s USA.  In this role, Colón leads all aspects of market and brand development to drive long-term growth for more than 5,200 McDonald’s restaurants in the Eastern United States.  He was promoted to this position in August 2012.  

Most recently, Colón led operations, deployment and execution for the East Division as Senior Vice President and Restaurant Support Officer.  In that role, he also oversaw talent development of regional field officers, collaborating with them to improve alignment and consistent execution through the restaurants.  

With more than 35 years of experience in the McDonald’s System, both on the franchisee and corporate side, Colón is a proven people person, who has been very successful at developing his staff and challenging them to go that extra mile to improve results.  

After starting as a crew person in New Haven, Connecticut in November 1977, Colón has served in a variety of leadership positions throughout his McDonald’s career.  Some highlights include Vice-President & General Manager of the Greater Southwest Region, Vice-President & General Manager of the New York Metro Region Vice-President & General Manager, and U.S. Sr. Vice-President & General Manager of McDonald’s East Division operating company business.  

Colón is committed to serving communities and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida.  Internally, Colón has been a member of McDonald’s Advisory Board for U.S. Officer Development and the company’s National People Team.  He is also the Sponsor, and Past Chair, for McDonald’s National Hispanic Employee Network.  

On the personal side, Colón has three sons, and he and his wife, Jennifer, reside on the East Coast.