McDonald’s India names Mehak Jaini as head of marketing (West & South)

MUMBAI: Mehak Jaini has taken a bigger bite out of brand building. The seasoned marketer has joined McDonald’s India as head of marketing for West and South India, marking a return to a brand she once helped shape from the agency side.

Jaini announced her appointment on LinkedIn, revealing that her first fortnight on the job had little to do with presentations or campaigns. Instead, she spent her induction working inside McDonald’s restaurants, making burgers, cleaning dining areas, packing orders, serving customers and even delivering meals.

The hands-on introduction, she said, offered a deeper understanding of the people and processes behind one of the world’s most recognisable quick service restaurant brands.

“I’m incredibly excited (and equally humbled) to share that I’ve joined McDonald’s India (West & South) as head of marketing (Westlife Foodworld Limited),” she wrote, adding that before being entrusted with telling the brand’s story, it was important to understand what makes that story possible.

Reflecting on the experience, Jaini said marketing has “one job”, which is ensuring that the work of thousands of employees behind the scenes receives the audience it deserves. She also highlighted how frontline restaurant staff often go unnoticed when operations run smoothly, only becoming visible when customers need assistance or when something goes wrong.

Another takeaway came from observing delivery riders navigating multiple touchpoints before completing an order. Calling for a “chain of kindness”, she urged greater respect for everyone involved in the customer journey, from security personnel and building staff to delivery partners.

Jaini said joining McDonald’s carried a special significance because of its enduring place in business education, boardrooms and everyday consumer life. She added that she hoped to honour the brand’s legacy while helping shape its next phase of growth.

Her appointment brings more than 18 years of experience spanning brand strategy, consumer insights and marketing across the agency and FMCG sectors.

Before joining McDonald’s, Jaini spent over two years at Godrej Consumer Products Limited, most recently serving as global brand equity lead for personal care and global effectiveness. Earlier, she led global brand equity for the company’s hair and air care portfolio.

Prior to that, she spent nearly 16 years at DDB Mudra Group, where she rose through the ranks to become national strategy head at 22feet Tribal Worldwide and vice president, strategy. During her tenure, she worked on marquee brands including McDonald’s, Lipton, Godrej, HBO and Disney+ Hotstar, while also leading new business initiatives and strategic planning.

Her long association with McDonald’s from the agency side gives her a unique perspective as she moves into the client organisation, bringing institutional knowledge alongside fresh operational experience.

A graduate of Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad with an MBA in account planning and brand management, Jaini began her career with a management internship at L’Oréal before building a career across advertising and consumer goods.

Her appointment comes as Westlife Foodworld continues to strengthen its leadership team and sharpen its focus on customer experience, with Jaini’s restaurant-first induction signalling that understanding operations is becoming as important as shaping the message consumers see.