McDonald’s franchisee Douglas Wright, who owns and operates 23 restaurants across the West Midlands, has received his MBE from Prince William who awarded him at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace last week.
Doug was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list following the Platinum Jubilee with an MBE for ‘Services to the Economy and Charity in the West Midlands’.
His honour was in recognition of his tireless efforts and services to bring people together to help the community.
An MBE is awarded to individuals who have provided a long-term service and are responsible for significant community impact. In 2021, Doug celebrated his 40th anniversary working for McDonald’s, where he began his career as a cleaner at the age of 16. It was the beginning of a remarkable career journey which led to him being appointed McDonald’s youngest UK restaurant manager by the age of 20. Doug is now proud to own and operate 23 restaurants and employ more than 2,500 people in the local area.
His charitable initiatives include a six-year role as Chairman for Ronald McDonald House Birmingham, where he helped the organisation navigate through incredibly difficult times by establishing new ways to fundraise to help provide ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families with children receiving care at the nearby Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This was done by setting up the first virtual and hybrid events, raising more than £300,000. Doug’s work with RMHC was recognised globally, with a special award being presented to him at the McDonald’s Worldwide Convention.
The award not only highlights the vital role Doug plays in the communities in which he operated but also Doug’s commitment to working with local businesses, often as a mentor or special advisor. As a Board Member for the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Doug spends a lot of time with local businesses and during the pandemic, he was able to help them navigate new government initiatives, whilst managing the safe operation of his own stores.
Videos and podcasts that he has contributed to have been viewed thousands of times and are still helping these businesses today. In 2016, Doug was recognised as one of the best Franchisees in our global system after being the recipient of the prestigious Fred L Turner Golden Arch Award, the highest accolade in the global McDonald’s empire.
Douglas Wright MBE DL said: “Being presented with an MBE for ‘Services to the Economy and Charity in the West Midlands’ is a great honour for myself and my family and I’d like to thank everybody across the business community who has been so generous with their time, advice and support along the way. I take great pride in being committed to the local communities around our restaurants and look forward to continuing to help contribute towards making them even better places to live and work.”
There are currently a number of exciting career opportunities available in the Midlands.
