Jim Cantalupo

James Richard Cantalupo (November 14, 1943 – April 19, 2004) was an American businessman. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of McDonald's Corporation from 1991 to 1999 and again from 2003 until his sudden death by heart attack at the age of 60.

Life

Cantalupo was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the eldest child in a family of Irish and Italian descent. His father was an optometrist and mother a homemaker. Cantalupo earned a degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity.

He married, and had a daughter and son. He became president of McDonald's International in 1987 and its CEO in 1991. He lost the top job to Jack Greenberg in 1999.

Cantalupo succeeded as CEO and chairman on January 1, 2003. Shareholders were not impressed, thinking that his appointment indicated that the company was "inbred". However, credit was given to Cantalupo for the company's recovery in the succeeding 12 months: "he devised a plan" which included "accelerating the introduction of healthier foods, such as salads". McDonald's Japan CEO Den Fujita died of heart failure two days later.