theceomagazine.com | 43an ability to work with minimal supervision
and a faultless record of executing tasks are
also must-haves for those on his team.
Similarly, nobody will get into the upper
ranks of the company without demonstrating
excellent people skills.LEADERSHIP STYLE
“I have very high standards and I expect
everyone I work with to deliver accordingly.
People drive our business, it’s not all about
the food at our restaurants. The people
behind it make it unique and successful.”
While the president asks a lot from his
employees, his workplace is far from dour.
“One thing I am very clear on is having
a fun leadership style,” he says. Nor is it
a one-way street where hard work goes
unrewarded. “I strongly believe that I need to
always be there for my team to support them.
My door is open 24/7 to every employee in
this organisation, from crew all the way up to
senior management. In return, they will try
to give their heart and soul to the business.
“I’m a big believer in collaboration and
the sharing of ideas,” says Prince Mishaal.
This attitude has proven a good cultural fit in
McDonald’s, where he learned the value of
an open-door policy.
One of his other touchstones as a leader
is a saying favoured by Ray Kroc, the
company’s uber-influential former CEO:
‘None of us is as good as all of us’.PROVIDING LOCAL
EMPLOYMENT
When he started at the company in 1996,
one of Prince Mishaal’s main objectives was
to ensure McDonald’s Saudi Arabia grew into
a brand with an emphasis on employing
locals. “Restaurants were not an appealing
sector for the Saudi workforce. Back then,
it was basically unheard of to find a Saudi
working in a QSR.”
The restaurant chain now has 1,400 Saudi
citizens working for it, a number that
represents 28 per cent of its total staff. This is
a high percentage in the QSR sector, though
Prince Mishaal says they will continue
working on this. “We still have a long way to
go. Our ambitions are still far from »McDonald’s is modernising its
restaurants through the Experience of the
Future platform, which incorporates ‘guest
experience leaders’ (to welcome customers
and provide table service), self-order
kiosks with wi-fi and phone chargers,
various payment modes, and energy
sustainability features such as smart hand
washers, energy-saving lighting, and
biodegradable cutlery. Prince Mishaal
describes the platform as “a blueprint to helpus get organised, stay aligned and move ahead
in the right direction”.
The Saudi Arabian outlets have been so
successful at implementing these new
measures that McDonald’s Saudi Arabia was
invited to present on the topic at McDonald’s
worldwide convention. “We were the only
nation to present a case study,” Prince
Mishaal notes. “There were more than
15,000 people from the McDonald’s system
from all over the world, including the CEO,
senior management and franchisees from all
118 international markets. That was a very
proud achievement and showcases our
commitment to lead.”
Under Prince Mishaal’s watch,
McDonald’s Saudi Arabia has been meticulous
in maintaining high standards. “We are
committed to running one of the best
McDonald’s operations in the world. That’s
been a commitment we have had since day
one, and one which we have successfully
achieved. We’ve been recognised by both
McDonald’s Corporation and our customers
for being one of the best-run operations in
the world.”
Prince Mishaal has assembled a highly
productive management staff and says that
maturity and sharp judgement are the most
important qualities he looks for in selecting
his senior team. High-level project
management ability, attention to detail,“ I’M A BIG BELIEVER
IN COLLABORATION
AND THE SHARING
OF IDEAS.”
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