Youth and family research and consulting firm Smarty Pants is welcoming Patty Clark to its executive team as senior research director.

Based out of the firm’s Chicago office, Clark will help lead qualitative and quantitative departments on the continued growth of the company’s custom and syndicated research services. It is a role that taps her 15 years of experience leading strategic consumer research among the youth and family targets.

Most recently, Clark was research director, US Consumer & Business Insights at McDonald’s Corporation, where spent five years leading McDonald’s consumer research on kids, moms, and the Happy Meal brand. Her research career at McDonald’s began in 1993, and has also included the chicken/salads categories, national promotions, corporate nutrition strategy, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Prior to joining McDonald’s, Clark was a research analyst on the Kellogg’s and Keebler brands at Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago.