THE CONVERSATION: Michèle Boudria, President and CEO of McDonald’s Canada

The journey from a high school cashier to the corner office is seldom straightforward, yet Michèle Boudria’s path to becoming McDonald’s Canada’s first female CEO reads like a modern parable of grit, growth and passion for hospitality. Starting in 1984 behind the counter at her neighbourhood McDonald’s in Aylmer, Quebec, Michèle could hardly have imagined that four decades later, she would lead the Canadian division of the company she once joined for pocket money and camaraderie.

In a candid conversation with MENU Magazine, Michèle recounts the milestones and challenges that defined her rise—from juggling motherhood with managing a bustling restaurant to navigating McDonald’s operations on a global scale. Her reflections illuminate how adaptability, curiosity, and the willingness to embrace change forged her leadership style. With a firm eye on sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, Michèle offers a peek behind the curtain of the enduring magic of the Golden Arches and the community and ideas that power its legacy.

MENU: If the legend is to be believed, you began your McDonald’s journey in Aylmer, Quebec in 1984. What attracted you to the restaurant and what were your first impressions upon starting?

Michéle Boudria:  I started behind the counter as a cashier at the local McDonald’s in my hometown, Aylmer, Quebec. I was in high school at the time. Lots of my friends worked there, so that was my main motivation to work there. That, and to earn a little bit of pocket money.
As I worked my way through high school, I really fell in love with the brand and the broader idea of running a business. Then, while studying Journalism at Algonquin College, I realized I really wanted to pursue a career with McDonald’s.

MENU: That’s a radical shift…

MB: Yes. I spent the majority of my early career in Ottawa. Initially, I took on various roles,
including what we call “field service”, where you support local owner-operators, I worked on the operations side of our business. I worked in training and, as I grew through the organization, I took on more senior roles and worked nationally for McDonald’s Canada. From there, I had the opportunity to take on some global roles. So, with McDonald’s I’ve had the chance to live in Toronto, Vancouver and then Chicago along the way. I even had the opportunity to work internationally as the Managing Director for McDonald’s Netherlands.
In 2022, I came back to Canada and became the President and CEO, which was a really exciting moment.

MENU: What aspects of your personality and the McDonald’s brand do you feel led you to make the decisions you did?

MB: I’m very, very comfortable with change and, in some ways, that’s really defined my journey. I’m very comfortable with taking bold risks and seizing the opportunities—and
McDonald’s is absolutely full of them.
I was always very curious as a child, and I have a love of learning. To be perfectly honest, I’ve been a lifetime student of the McDonald’s business and of business overall. I have always been open to change and to taking risks and trying new things, and I think those character traits have helped me grasp all of the opportunities McDonald’s has provided me.

MENU: McDonald’s has made significant efforts and investments in enhancing the visibility of the potential growth opportunities for all employees, including hourly and entry-level employees. Was that potential clear to you—or even relevant—when you started?

MB: When people come to McDonald’s they’ll hear, “You can join for a year or for a career.” That’s very clear from the beginning, and McDonald’s also very much encourages us to pursue our education and to follow through on our post-secondary education because all of those learnings and those skills certainly are assets—particularly if an individual wants to be a leader in the McDonald’s business in the future.

I saw the opportunity and the potential early on in my career, and the good news is that leadership saw it in me as well. They were willing to invest, and I also was willing to invest in the business and my own development and learning. There are so many opportunities to learn and develop yourself in our business, and more tools than you can probably imagine. That really appealed to me. And so, fairly early on in my career, I was able to see the potential, but I have to be honest—never in a million years did I think I’d become the CEO.

MENU: Looking back, can you identify clear challenges, opportunities and decision points that chapter your career history?

MB: Becoming a mom while I was working in our restaurants was definitely a defining moment in my career. At the time, I was a restaurant manager in Ottawa, and I had a team of about 70 to 80 crew and a management team of ten. That experience has allowed me to become a better leader and to look for ways to create an environment that supports women in operations and other areas of our business and find ways we can address the challenges working mothers face, because I went through it.
I had many people supporting me then, so I know it can be done—but it can’t be done alone.

MENU: How has your experience translated into your leadership style and priorities?

MB: A big part has been about sharing how I was able to continue to pursue my career, having the support to continue to grow and be a great mom, supported by my village. I think that for a lot of women, seeing one of us grow and ascend to the heights of leadership is a real inspiration. Being the first woman in this role, and a mother, I realized the responsibility it comes with and the importance of being able to show that this path can be taken—that you can be a mom, and the work will still get done.

I was one of the founding members of the Women’s Leadership Network in Canada. That was almost 18 years ago. Back then, we spent a lot of time just trying to create a network where we could share tips and tricks and find ways to support one another so we could grow our careers and our families at the same time, without the latter being perceived as a barrier to career progression.

MENU: How have your early professional experiences informed your leadership style?

MB: My leadership style has evolved and changed over the years, along with the community and people I’ve worked with.

As a leader, I think it’s incredibly important that you’re adaptive and that you’re able to learn new skills and ways of doing things, and that you understand the needs of the people you’re working with. That’s been really important to me, and my experience working in our restaurants has been invaluable. Early on, I was able to see the impact decisions made by people doing the job I’m in today can have on our restaurant teams as well as on our guests. That has really helped shape me as a leader today, because I’m always asking the question, “What will that look like for our restaurant teams?” or “How will that feel to a guest,” or “How might an owner-operator react to something like this?”, because I’ve had the chance to play most of those roles and I want to make sure I’m asking questions on behalf of all of those folks.

I also would note that things have changed and evolved exponentially in McDonald’s since I’ve worked behind the counter. So, throughout the year, I make sure that I spend time in our restaurants across the country with crew and with operators and that I also interact with our guests. I want to hear directly from people who bring all of our strategies and ideas to life in our restaurants. I think this connection helps me to stay grounded in today’s realities.

MENU: Is moving people forward through the organization, from the bottom to the top, the ideal strategy for McDonald’s?

MB: Over the years, the business has changed drastically so you will find a lot of people in our business who have the same amount of tenure as I do, but equally a lot of talent with various experiences across all kinds of other businesses. You’ll also find many people fresh out of school who come with a ton of energy, new ways of looking at things, and new tools and abilities that help us all learn.

This excerpt is republished with permission from Restaurants Canada and MENU magazine. Read the full article here.