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One of McDonald’s
“golden” examples of
Latina achievement is
Ofelia Melendrez, Vice
President of QSC®
(Quality, Service &
Cleanliness) in the
Southwest region.
Melendrez was recruited
into a McDonald’s
management internship
program upon graduation
from college in 1992 and
has steadily climbed up
the corporate ladder to
her current position
where she oversees
quality and customer
satisfaction at
restaurants in her
region.
“At first I wasn’t so
sure I wanted to take on
a job flipping
hamburgers,” Melendrez
recalled. “But when I
got to know the company
better I understood that
this was the ideal place
for me to utilize all
the business skills I
learned in college.”
Because her story
typifies the Latina
success rate at
McDonald’s, she was
recently featured in an
employment image
campaign airing on
national
Spanish-language
networks that will soon
be airing in English as
well.
Other examples of
Latinas in key positions
abound.
When it comes to
maintaining McDonald’s
standing as the
restaurant of choice
with Hispanic families,
the “two Cristinas” are
at the helm. That’s
Cristina Vilella,
Director of Marketing,
and Cristina Alfaro,
Manager of
Communications, who keep
the company in touch
with Hispanic customers
as the heads of the
company’s Hispanic
advertising and public
relations initiatives.
Together, the two devise
strategies that connect
the company to the needs
and preferences of
Latino consumers through
programs like
sponsorship of the
Mexican National soccer
team, the Latin
Grammys®, and the
company’s education
initiatives in support
of the RMHC®/HACER®
Scholarship Program.
Other Latinas in key
positions with the
Golden Arches, include
vice presidents Haydee
Olinger in Legal, Global
Corporate Compliance and
Marcia Vargas in
Inclusion & Diversity;
senior director
Priscilla Aviles Jamison
in Creative; and Rosa
Gist in Central Division
Operations, Lupe
Velazquez in Restaurant
Design, and Tania Haigh
in Marketing, to name
just a few.
Many other Latinas have
found success by owning
and operating their own
McDonald’s restaurants.
Today, 88 Latinas,
accounting for 34% of
McDonald’s Hispanic
franchisees, are Latina.
The first was Isabelle
Villasenor of Orange
County, CA., who was
working as a secretary
when she purchased her
first restaurant in
1981. Both of her
daughters, Jenny and
Lisa, have followed in
her footsteps, and are
also successful “second
generation” operators.
McDonald’s is a company
that encourages its
owner/operators to
involve their families
in the business, and
“second generation”
operators assure a
smooth transition to new
operators who literally
grew up in the business.
Another example is Ana
Madan of New Jersey,
who’s father, Roberto,
was one of the company’s
first Hispanic
operators. When Roberto
semi-retired, daughter
Ana took over the
operation of his
restaurants in addition
to her own. She now
helps pave the way for
other Latinas to enter
the system.
McDonald’s has the
largest organization of
Hispanic franchisees in
the industry with 261
approved owner/operators
who operate 851
restaurants in 35
states. The combined
revenues of
Hispanic-owned
McDonald’s restaurants
exceed $1.8 billion. The
McDonald’s Hispanic
Owner/Operators
Association (MHOA) helps
recruit potential new
Hispanic franchisees
into the system and ease
their transition into
the system.
Internally, the
McDonald’s® Hispanic
Employee Network,
Hispanic Career
Development program, and
a new McD Mentoring
online system all
provide career
development assistance
to McDonald’s Hispanic
employees.
McDonald’s commitment to
diversity and to Latinas
in particular is
ingrained within the
organization. It starts
at the top. “We believe
in developing and
maintaining a diverse
workforce at McDonald’s
because it strengthens
our system,” is how Jim
Skinner, Vice Chairman
and CEO explains it. “We
have a long legacy of
valuing diversity and
we’re proud of the
recognition we’ve
received as leaders in
this area.”
© McDonald’s 2007
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