This afternoon I had the opportunity to hear from McDonald’s CEO,
Chris Kempczinski on how he is steering one of the world’s most iconic brands through evolving corporate and societal landscapes. Chris spoke about “Accelerating the Arches” and how he has worked to strengthen McDonald’s competitive edge and global impact during his five-year tenure.
According to recent statistics, 1 in 8 Americans have worked at McDonalds at some point in their careers. Couple that with the number of restaurants in the United States and footprint across 120 countries, the economic and cultural impact is substantial. Chris identified the following points that are pivotal to the companies growth:
🍟Navigating Pricing & Value
🍟Introducing 3 new platforms
🍟Core items consistency
🍟Maintaining local market identity
🍟Acceleration of Digital technology
🍟The importance of culture
🍟This is a People business
🍟Living the Values
🍟Innovation & Customer Experience
However, it was his response to what he was most proud of, and he replied “the resilience of the organization”. The collective spirit, alignment and determination of the company, franchisees and employees is what sets the brand apart. Whether it’s navigating Covid, wars, natural disasters and other world events, the company stands tall.
As a former employee, I understand all to well the meaning of “ketchup in your veins” which Chris used when speaking about the importance of culture. The feeling of loyalty and pride one has when they work for the brand that often creates a sense of community and longevity. While he didn’t reveal the the ingredients to the secret sauce, he gave us some words of wisdom and leadership lessons.
Thank you to
William Davis for extending the invitation and to
The Executives' Club of Chicago for hosting this engaging conversation. Always a plus when I bump into former colleagues and friends, and forge new relationships.
#leadership #partnerships #networking #entrepreneurs