theceomagazine.com | 37“The award is granted in recognition
of our consistency in delivering a superior
customer experience, giving back passionately
to our community and ensuring a positive
and favourable environment for our
employees,” Prince Mishaal says. “It shows
we have taken leadership in representing and
building up the McDonald’s brand. It is
a great honour.”
The road to this acclaim began back in
1993 when Prince Mishaal finished university
and was considering which arm of the family
business to go into. McDonald’s Saudi Arabia
was an easy choice. He says he could have
gone into a number of companies which
were more established, but the globally
renowned restaurant seemed like a good fit.
“I knew the potential it had and I was
also very eager to work with such
a renowned global brand. I knew that I
would personally gain a lot working with
such a glamorous, multinational company.
I also felt that the brand had enormous
potential to grow in Saudi Arabia. I took
it upon myself to really dedicate my life
to building the company and not just
achieving the vision I had at the time, but
exceeding it.”Prince Mishaal’s father had obtained
franchise rights for McDonald’s restaurants
across central, eastern and northern Saudi
Arabia. When Prince Mishaal became
President of the company in 1996, there were
only 15 McDonald’s outlets in the territory.
McDonald’s Saudi Arabia’s growth since then,
however, has been dramatic. By 2012, it had
75 restaurants in the country and was
committed to doubling this number by 2015.
“At the time, we called that a bold plan,”
Prince Mishaal recalls. That ambition has
since been more than realised, with
152 outlets operational by the end of 2015.
Today, the company has 162 restaurants and is
once again setting aggressive targets, this time
aiming to have more than 300 restaurants
across its territory by 2027.EARLY DAYS
Entering the business immediately after
graduation, Prince Mishaal acknowledges
there was a “very steep learning curve”
initially. His first years with the company
were spent in the US; as required by the
McDonald’s corporation’s franchise
agreement, he travelled there to complete
a three-month intensive training program.
“I started from a crew position where
I was mopping floors, cleaning parking lotsand cooking burgers and fries,” Prince
Mishaal recalls. “Considering I was just
entering the business world, it was a
challenge to learn and understand the
business, and acquire all the necessary
management skills, knowledge and expertise.”
Prince Mishaal credits his father, Prince
Khalid bin Fahd Al-Saud, with shadowing
him, coaching him and generally providing »“ I WAS BLESSED TO
HAVE SUCH A
WONDERFUL TEAM
AT THE TIME. THEY
SUPPORTED ME
IMMENSELY.”
“McDonald’s and Del Monte
share a passion for delivering
high quality products.
Both entities combine this
successful mix of local
know-how and multinational
organisation. As a strategic
partner, we embrace their
support in innovating new
opportunities that bring positive
attributes to society.”
- Mohammed Yahfoufi,
General Manager, Del Monte
Saudi Arabia