Represented, leading, involved: McDonald’s celebrates its #MPowered women

Fastfood giant’s latest campaign puts the spotlight on its women who make a difference

World famous menu items, meals and heartfelt service are signatures of the McDonald’s Philippines experience. And while the public continues to enjoy the company’s industry-leading standards on food and customer-centricity, the women of McDonald’s are taking on more leadership roles and increased involvement behind the counters, that has made all this come to life.

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These women are at the forefront of #MPowered, McDonald’s newest campaign this National Women’s Month. The initiative lauds McDonald’s women leaders and team members who have shown strength, confidence, and courage amid a trying year, steering the company throughout the pandemic. The campaign is also headlined by McDonald’s representation numbers, which show its lead from the current global benchmarks for a gender-equal workforce. 

At McDonald’s, women account for 55% of the total employee population. Out of this number, 56% manage the company’s over 650 stores. In the boardroom, women from the executive committee take up 50% of the company’s top leadership posts, while 73% of senior management and 54% of its franchise owners, are women. At the forefront is a female managing director, and women thriving in roles that are traditionally handled by men like real estate, construction, legal, IT, and franchising.

“We are proud to exemplify the talents and strengths of Filipino women at McDonald’s especially during these challenging times. We survived 2020 due to the exemplary leadership that the women of McDonald’s have shown– the roles they played in initiatives that have propelled our business and brought us closer to different communities,” says McDonald’s Philippines President and CEO Kenneth Yang.

Making waves in the company, society

Among the women in the #MPowered campaign are leaders who have driven landmark projects for McDonald’s and in partnership with other stakeholders amid the pandemic. Managing director Margot Torres co-led Ingat Angat, the country’s biggest consumer confidence campaign for Task Force T3, a consortium of private companies that support and partner with the government for its test, trace and treat initiatives against COVID-19. She continues her work on another national project, this time focusing on alleviating hunger and malnutrition. She is the private sector lead for Pilipinas Kontra Gutom, a multi-sectoral initiative in partnership with the government’s Task Force Zero Hunger–all while continuously overseeing the company’s day to day operations.

Following the strict lockdowns last year, McDonald’s was able to continue its operations, drive-thru, McDelivery and dine-in at a limited capacity, through its M Safe Program, led by corporate communications manager Puch Agodon. Through efforts of internal communications to align and rally its people on M Safe, the program captures how the company elevated its commitment to quality, service, and cleanliness for a safe and worry-free dining experience for its employees and customers. Rounding the list of notable female leaders amid COVID-19 is Ronald McDonald House Charities executive director Marie Angeles, who was at the helm of McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen. Initially intending to feed 50,000 frontliners and individuals from vulnerable sectors, the project progressed to feeding over 400,000 through the concerted effort of RMHC and its corporate partners including Metrobank, Coca-Cola, HAVI and Angkas. The McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen remains committed to serve more meals for more Filipinos this 2021. 

“It is not enough to look at just the projects that gain media exposure because the more compelling work of women at McDonald’s happens every day, in the kitchens of all our restaurants in the Philippines. McDonald’s Philippines takes pride in having women as leaders, and as a woman myself, each day I am inspired by the skill and tenacity of our restaurant managers and crew, whom I believe, through their unique strengths, are pivotal for the success that has brought McDonald’s to where it is today and in the future.” notes Torres.

According to its latest figures, McDonald’s has over 25,000 women, wherein 56% belong to restaurant and safety management positions in company owned stores, and each one in charge of leading her co-employees and customers through the M Safe Program. Meanwhile, among 114 independent franchisees, 54% are also women. 

“As we celebrate our female employees this Women’s Month, I would like to enjoin leaders and see the importance of championing a culture and workplace that enables everyone, whatever gender it may be, to grow and have equal opportunity. McDonald’s Philippines will remain steadfast in our commitment to gender equality, diversity and workplace inclusion. We are proud to say that from the crew room to the board room, it’s the women who take charge,” Yang quips.