An Insider Look At Fender Music’s Interactive Marketing Powerhouse

Richard McDonald is Fender Musical Instruments Corporation’s (FMIC) Senior Vice President of Global Marketing.

McDonald joined Fender in 1993, rising from an entry-level position to his current executive role encompassing P&L ownership, marketing and advertising, product development, artist relations, product education, and promotions and events.

In approaching business, his philosophy emphasizes a consumer-centric focus, sustaining relevance and fulfilling what he calls “the brand promise.” Among his many accomplishments at FMIC, McDonald served as Fender amplification and audio marketing manager (1997-2000) and vice president of electric guitars (2000-2003), an especially creative period during which he was instrumental in developing some of Fender’s most successful products. As Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, he subsequently led the unification of FMIC’s entire global marketing organization. More recently, McDonald has served as Brand Manager for the iconic Fender brand.

McDonald arrived at FMIC in the early ’90s as an accomplished guitarist from a musical family and with some industry experience in retail management. He has amassed considerable performing and recording experience, including 20 years as guitarist/songwriter with acclaimed Tempe, Ariz.-based world beat band Morningstar, and more recently with Alice Cooper.

In addition to his music career McDonald is a popular keynote speaker and emcee, having addressed major organizations such as General Mills, Thunderbird School of Global Management, HUB Magazine’s Brand Experience Symposium, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Masters of Marketing, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and the Society for Information Management (SIM). Network Television appearances include The Travel Channel’s Made in America, ABC’s Shark Tank and the Discovery Channel’s upcoming series Manufactured.