????繼任規劃一直是你優先考慮的事項。你能說說這個計劃醞釀了多長時間嗎？

????說實在的，我覺得我對董事會的責任之一就是要確保在我離開時為他們找到一位有能力運營這家公司的人選。直到我能夠完成這一使命，我才會離開，這件事需要時間。多恩已經擔任了2年的首席運營官。我一直在為他提供各種指導意見，而且在接下來的90天里還將繼續這么做。但他是一個非常有才華的人，在麥當勞已經工作了22年，執掌過美國公司。正如我常說的那樣，他是這個職務的上上之選。

????公司繼續前進面臨的最大挑戰將是什么？

????挑戰保持不變：如何在一個清潔的環境中，以消費者每天都能負擔的優惠價格提供熱騰騰的快餐食品，如何培養公司員工，確保公司能夠繼續開發人才資源和領導團隊，從而使他們有能力執行麥當勞公司長期的發展戰略。

????此刻，我們在大宗商品和匯率方面面臨一些不利因素。各大經濟體稱不上強勁，尤以歐洲為甚。但這是周期性的現象。我們有過安然度過這種局面的先例，這次也理應如此，我們的團隊非常成熟，深諳應對挑戰之道。

????41年是很漫長的一段時間。你會不會覺得很難舍棄這一切？從海軍退役之后，你的整個職業生涯都是在麥當勞公司度過的。

????首先我要說，我真的不知道這個問題的答案，因為我現在還沒有放手。但我覺得我不會難以割舍。

????一位董事曾說過：“這番舉動的確令人印象深刻，因為人們會說你想呆多久就可以呆多久。”許多人不愿意離職。但我們不能等得太久，必須在時機恰當的時機離開，盡管我即將退休這件事其實讓分析師圈子和媒體感到很意外。

????有沒有你一直想完成，但一直覺得就是沒時間去做的事情？

????我沒有什么未了的心愿。我們所經歷的非凡成功甚至連我自己都覺得有些驚訝。我們實話實說吧。7年半或8年前，我們正在經歷一段異常困苦的時期，如果你那時候告訴我（我當時擔任副董事長），我們在今天會成為一家市值高達1,000億美元的公司，5年期股東總回報率高達21.3%，我或許會認為你是在癡人說夢。

????你是否把這些看成是你留下來的遺產？

????數據本身就說明了一切，但我認為真正的遺產是人才管理，領導力開發，以及這樣一批人。如果把人的因素理順了，其他事都好辦。

????Succession planning has been a priority for you. Can tell you me how long this has been in the works?

????I basically felt the responsibility to the board of directors to be sure I provided them with someone who could run the company when I'm gone. Until I was capable of doing that I would not have left, and it takes time. Don's been in the [COO] job for two years. I've been tutoring him and mentoring him and will continue to do so over the next 90 days. But he's a very talented guy, 22 years at McDonald's, ran the U.S. company. As I like to say, he's the real deal.

????What will be the biggest challenge for the company going forward?

????The challenge stays the same: how do you deliver hot food fast in a clean environment, great price, everyday affordability, develop your people, and make sure you continue to develop the talent and develop the leadership team to be able to execute the strategies of McDonald's over the long term.

????Right now, we have headwinds on commodities, and headwinds on currency. Economies are not exactly robust, particularly in Europe. But that's cyclical. We've been through that before so it comes with the territory, and the team is well developed and well versed in terms of handling those challenges.

????Forty-one years is a long time. Do you think you're going to have a hard time letting go? You spent your whole career after the Navy at McDonald's.

????First of all, I don't know the answer to that question, because I haven't let go yet. But I don't think so.

????One of the directors said, "That's really a class act, because one could argue you could stay here as long as you want." There are a lot of people who would not be willing to step away. You can't wait too long. You have to go when the time is right, even when, in fact, it turns out to be a surprise to the analyst community or the media.

????Is there anything you've wanted to accomplish that you just feel like you haven't had the time to do?

????I left nothing unturned of what I wanted to get done. The extraordinary success we've had has been even a little bit of a surprise to me. Let's be realistic. If you would have told me seven-and-a-half or eight years ago, when I was vice chairman, with the trials and tribulations of what was going on then, that we'd be a $100 billion company [in market capitalization] today and have a 21.3% five-year compound on the annual shareholder return, you just wouldn't have been able to say that's reasonable.

????Do you consider that your legacy?

????The results speak for themselves, but I think the real legacy is the talent management and leadership development and the people. If you get the people right, the rest is easy.