BillJohnson

Bill Johnson

Former President & CEO of McDonald’s Canada

As the President and CEO of McDonald’s Canada, Bill Johnson helped the golden arches reach new heights. Johnson became the head of the company at a time when McDonald’s was facing a challenging period, and under his leadership, McDonald’s Canada underwent a strategic shift, including launching more health conscious products, expanding the brand in Canada and strengthening relationships with its franchises. Johnson lectures at the Ivey Business School, and is a private “coach” for the students at the Ivey School’s EMBA and MBA classes. From his unique point of view, he shares with his audience what it takes to be a successful business leader.


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After leaving home at 16, Bill Johnson went from flipping burgers, to becoming the President & CEO of McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada.

As the President and CEO of McDonald’s Canada, Johnson helped the golden arches reach new heights. He became the head of the company at a time when McDonald’s was facing a challenging period.  Under his leadership, McDonald’s Canada underwent a strategic shift, including launching more health conscious products, expanding the brand in Canada and strengthening relationships with its franchises.

Prior to working with McDonald’s Canada, Johnson gained international experience as head of McDonald's Mexico, where he expanded operations by 40% in four years during one of the country’s most challenging economic downturns.

In 2010, Johnson became the Chairman of the Board for "Bento Nouveau", and he started his own consulting business, “I Am McJobs”. People from a range of experiences in the business world have come to Johnson for advice on how to be more successful within their industries. Additionally, he conducts lectures at the Richard Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario, and is a private “coach” for the students at the Ivey School’s EMBA and MBA classes.

Johnson offers an open, honest discussion of the successes and challenges he faced, with lots of time for Q&A. From his unique point of view, he shares with his audience what it takes to be a successful business leader.

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  • 4. Ronald Under Attack: Crisis Management from One of the World's Most Experienced Organizations

    Johnson doles out the truth about McDonald's -- one of the world's most targeted corporations by special interest groups -- and serves up a unique recipe for crisis management.

  • 3. Busting the McJobs Myth: From Fry Guy to CEO

    Bill debunks the myths about working at McDonald's and discusses the value in investing in employees.

  • 2. The Golden Arches: The Value of the Brand

    Johnson illustrates the power of the brand with stories from behind one of the world's most famous brands -- the golden arches.

  • 1. In Conversation with Bill Johnson

    Your group presents their top questions to Johnson who will address, then faciliate an active and engaged Q&A from the floor to ensure everything you wanted to know from a CEO is answered.

  • GlaxoSmithKline

    Bill provided fascinating insight into one of the world’s largest and most successful companies, with palpable sense of candor, enthusiasm, and passion for the human resource that makes or breaks an organization…
  • Bill has a depth of experience. When he is speaking to a group, he is the only guy in the room that has done the job of everyone else in the room. Not many people can say that.

    Cairncroft Management Ltd.
  • I think he’s incredibly thoughtful and introspective.  If you combine all that with his active listening skills and his ability to tell stories and draw analogies, I think that makes him someone who can be a tremendous coach.

    PetSmart Canada
  • Bill is an incredible storyteller. By this I mean, he is able to present critical business lessons in a real life context that makes the application easily understandable. It’s also inspiring.

    Canadian Management Centre
  • Students remember their interactions with Bill as one of the positives of our program. He has many stories that illustrate great leadership principles.

    Richard Ivey School of Business
  • Bill’s been in the trenches and worked through them. He’s worked his way up to one of the most senior positions in one of the most respected companies. He’s able to relate to everyone in an organization, notwithstanding the level in which they operate.

    Whitecastle Investments
  • Bill brings an inspirational perspective to everything we do in our business. He gravitates towards creating positive experiences with people and looks for the silver lining in any challenging situation.

    Bento Noveau