College of Business & Technology

Executive in Residence Carol Koepke and CBT Associate Dean John Drea

Carol E. Koepke

Carol Koepke, senior marketing director of category management for McDonald’s USA, returned to Western Illinois University last month to serve as the WIU College of Business and Technology (CBT)’s Fall 2011 Executive in Residence.

A 30-year McDonald’s veteran, Koepke is a liaison between the various departments within the company, including Menu Management, Operations, Communications and Business Research. She also directs a team of nine advertising and promotional agencies. She is responsible for leading and developing strategic direction and marketing promotions for 14,700 McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. Specifically, she oversees a team of marketing professionals that craft the strategies for the categories of burgers, fries, chicken, salads and breakfasts. Her team oversees the national promotions, brandbuilding initiatives and new product launches, such as the recent launch of Fruit and Maple Oatmeal and the Mac Snack Wrap.

Koepke served as a founding member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin’s board of directors and for Rand First Stage Milwaukee. She is a member of the board of directors for the Hinsdale (IL) Humane Society and volunteers with Junior Achievement of Chicagoland.