Fred Turner, who started as one of Ray Kroc’s original employees at McDonald’s and became CEO, died Monday from complications from pneumonia. He was 80. Turner oversaw much of the restaurant chain’s global expansion and spearheaded the development of Hamburger University.
“Fred’s contributions to McDonald’s are immeasurable,” said Don Thompson, McDonald’s president and CEO. “For more than 50 years, he was dedicated to operations excellence, training and developing a great-tasting menu. He worked side-by-side with Ray to open clean, welcoming restaurants where families could enjoy a high-quality meal and special time together.”