MINNEAPOLIS — Jano Cabrera has been named chief communications officer at General Mills, Inc. He succeeds Mary Lynn Carver, who stepped down from the position in early July.

In his new role, Mr. Cabrera will be responsible for communications strategy and corporate brand, employee and executive communications. He also will have oversight of product brand public relations and crisis communications.

Mr. Cabrera most recently was senior vice-president of corporate relations at McDonald’s Corp. since October 2015. In that role he focused on strengthening the company’s brand reputation, driving consumer engagement and overseeing global media relations. Prior to McDonald’s he spent a little more than eight years at Burson-Marsteller. Earlier in his career he was a senior media adviser for the National Democratic Institute and a communications director and national spokesman for the Democratic National Committee.

He received a bachelor’s degree in politics from Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.