Snap Inc. has hired Kenny Mitchell as it first chief marketing officer, the company said on Thursday, days after it reported better-than-expected first quarter sales and user growth.
Mitchell joins the Snapchat parent company from McDonald’s USA, where he led the company’s marketing American marketing efforts as vice president of brand content and engagement. He’ll start at Snap in June.
“Kenny’s consumer marketing expertise and his deep understanding of our products will be a great combination for Snap,” the company’s chief Evan Spiegel said in a statement. “Throughout his career, Kenny has demonstrated his ability to successfully execute innovative, global marketing campaigns, many of which have leveraged our own vertical video and augmented reality products. He’s a natural fit to join our team and lead marketing as we continue driving the positive momentum we have in the business.”
Earlier this week, Snap reported it gained 4 million daily users during the first quarter, pushing it to 190 million users overall. This was a welcome change for investors after the company sputtered last year, following a poorly-received app redesign, and lost 5 million users during the second and third quarters of 2018.
Snap recently introduced several new shows and a gaming platform on Snapchat, giving the Los Angeles-based company more spots to hit users with ads.
Prior to joining McDonald’s, Mitchell was the head of consumer engagement at Gatorade.