McDonald's Commitment to Its People and World-Class Training Play Key Roles for London 2012 Games

 

 

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwire - May 23, 2012) - McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) 

 

·         Company announces 2012 McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew

 

·         McDonald's U.K. supports LOCOG by training up to 70,000 Games Maker volunteers

 

McDonald's provides unique opportunities for its employees and customers around the world. For the London 2012 Olympic Games, the company will feature two programs that celebrate top-performing restaurant employees and its world-class training and people development. 

McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew
McDonald's is proud to announce the 2012 McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew. These 2,000 best-of-the-best managers and crew from 42 countries will serve the world's best athletes, as well as coaches, officials, media and spectators at McDonald's four new Olympic venue restaurants in London. 

"People are the heart and soul of our company, from the managers and crew behind the counter, to the people who train them," said Richard Floersch, McDonald's Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. "We share the Olympic ideals of teamwork, excellence and being your best and celebrate these across our more than 33,000 restaurants around the world. The McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew program is just one example of the unique opportunities we offer employees." 

The London 2012 Games will represent the largest ever McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew since the program began at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Each participating country determines criteria for selection, such as excellence in teamwork, outstanding leadership and delivering the highest level of service to customers. Meet some of the best-of-the-best: 

 

·         Marina Malykh (Sochi, Russia): Manager of the Year award winner, Malykh joined McDonald's in 2000 and in 2004 she helped open the first McDonald's in Sochi. She is eager to experience her first Olympic Games and looks forward to welcoming the world to Sochi when her city hosts the next Olympic Games in 2014.

 

·         Hao Lian (Anhui Province, China): Currently a hostess at her local restaurant, Lian volunteers with Ronald McDonald House Charities, and began her involvement with the charity following the 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan. She has also been very involved with The McDonald's China Volunteer Club, visiting children in orphanages.

 

·         Chris Jeffers (Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A.): Jeffers is a 17-year veteran of McDonald's and has earned five Outstanding Manager Awards. McDonald's means so much to him that he and his wife celebrated their marriage at a McDonald's restaurant.

 

·         David Rodrigo Franca (São Paulo, Brazil): Working at McDonald's was Franca's first job 19 years ago, and he has been with the company ever since. He is currently the proud manager of one of the top-ranking McDonald's restaurants in Brazil.

 

The four McDonald's Olympic venue restaurants will require 470 staff at one time to serve the thousands of anticipated guests during the Games. The world's largest McDonald's restaurant, located in the Olympic Park, will be managed by two McDonald's London business managers -- Murat Ocalan and Tariq Zaied. These outstanding managers were chosen through a special selection event and participated in the ground-breaking ceremony of the Olympic Park restaurant last November. 

During their stay in London, the McDonald's Olympic Champion Crew will have an opportunity to meet athletes, attend Olympic competitions, participate in sports activities in a London Park, visit cultural sites, and interact with their peers from across the globe. 

 

 

Games Makers Volunteer Program
Up to 70,000 Games Makers volunteers have been chosen to support the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). These volunteers will be at each venue to deliver a first-class customer service experience for the athletes, coaches, fans and media attending the Games. 

For the first time ever, McDonald's is the presenting partner of the London 2012 Games Makers program. McDonald's commitment to people and proven track-record in employee development and training was a key factor in partnering on the program to help attract, select and train the volunteers. McDonald's used its 1,200 restaurants in communities across the U.K. to raise awareness about the program and attract volunteers from around the country, resulting in more than 240,000 total applications for the Games Makers volunteer program. 

Utilizing the company's long-standing history of best-in-class training curriculum from Hamburger University -- with seven locations across the globe, including the U.K. Training Centre -- McDonald's dedicated two of its U.K. educators, Lorraine Thom and Ben George, to work with LOCOG to help create the training modules for the Games Makers program. Since 2010, Thom and George have been serving as Instructional Designers and helping to define and coordinate the more than 700 different volunteer roles required to ensure the London Games run smoothly. 

"McDonald's understands what it takes to train and motivate a large workforce in a fast-paced environment," said Jean Tomlin, LOCOG Director of Human Resources. "Working with our team at LOCOG, McDonald's is supporting and celebrating the volunteers at every stage of their journey to London 2012, with the aim of leaving an enduring training and volunteering legacy for years to come." 

In an effort to further equip people with skills and confidence to help them achieve their potential in the workplace after the Games, McDonald's is offering participants who are either unemployed or took part in the U.K. Government's Personal Best Program the ability to earn a professional qualification that may be used as a unit toward an apprenticeship in the hospitality industry throughout the U.K. 

About McDonald's and the Olympic Games
McDonald's commitment to the Olympic Movement began in 1968, when the company airlifted hamburgers to U.S. athletes in Grenoble, France, after they reported being homesick for McDonald's food. McDonald's has served its menu of choice and variety to millions of athletes, their coaches, families and fans. London 2012 marks the ninth consecutive Games that McDonald's will feed the athletes as the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games. 

About McDonald's 
McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,500 locations serving approximately 68 million customers in 119 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com and follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldscorp) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/mcdonaldscorp). 

© 2012 McDonald's 

CONTACTS:
Margaret Bode
McDonald's 
+1 630-623-6643 
margaret.bode@us.mcd.com 
Twitter: @McDonaldsCorp

Jeff Pawola
GolinHarris
+1 312-729-4211
jpawola@golinharris.com 

 

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

McDonald's Names Dave Hoffmann as President of Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa Region

 

 

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwire - May 24, 2012) - McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) today announced that Dave Hoffmann, 44, currently Senior Vice President for Restaurant Support in McDonald's Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region, has been elected President of McDonald's APMEA by the McDonald's Board of Directors, effective July 1.

 

Hoffmann, a 16-year McDonald's veteran, succeeds Tim Fenton who recently was promoted to McDonald's Chief Operating Officer, also effective July 1.

 

McDonald's CEO-elect Don Thompson, who replaces retiring CEO Jim Skinner, said, "Throughout his career, Dave has demonstrated outstanding leadership and strategic insight. Jim and I are very confident in Dave's abilities to deliver on the growth opportunities in the APMEA markets and to build our business and brand in this important region. Dave will continue to provide the dynamic and results-oriented leadership that has fueled APMEA's success thus far."

 

"Over the past five years I've had the opportunity to work very closely with Dave, and know firsthand the exceptional talent, experience and passion he brings to this role," said Fenton. "Dave has a deep understanding of the APMEA region, a strong operations focus and the ability to deliver results and achieve goals."

 

Hoffmann will be based in Singapore and report to Fenton. He will be responsible for operations of 5,500 McDonald's restaurants in APMEA. Fenton will continue to oversee Japanese operations.

 

Photos and biographical information for Hoffmann are available through McDonald's Global News Center athttp://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/bios.html.

 

More About Dave Hoffmann

 

Hoffmann is a 16-year McDonald's veteran and has served in key leadership roles in APMEA since 2007. Currently Senior Vice President responsible for Restaurant Support in APMEA, Hoffmann leads APMEA Strategy, Insights and Development, Operations and Supply Chain.

 

Previously, Hoffmann spent four years partnering with the McDonald's Japan Executive Team, where he was instrumental in the successful restructuring of Japan's franchising system. He also played a key role in developing and driving the high-level strategies for company-operated restaurant performance, field service operations, supply chain and restaurant development.

 

Prior to his time in APMEA, Hoffmann served as Senior Director for both North America and Global Strategy and Execution. In this role, he worked closely with McDonald's market leaders around the world on building their plans and developing strategies for greater growth and profitability.

 

Hoffmann began his career as restaurant manager in the U.S. and went on to hold a variety of U.S. Field and Operations positions. He also worked as a McDonald's crew member for two years during high school in Missouri.

 

Hoffmann holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a MBA from the University of Chicago. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

 

About McDonald's
McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,500 locations serving approximately 68 million customers in 119 countries each day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com.

 

MEDIA:
Lisa McComb 
630-623-3707
Lisa.mccomb@us.mcd.com

Becca Hary
630-623-7293
Becca.hary@us.mcd.com

INVESTORS:
Kathy Martin
630-623-7833
Kathy.martin@us.mcd.com 

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

 

BMO Financial Group Reports Another Quarter of Strong Results, Increasing Net Income by 27% Year Over Year to $1.03 Billion

 

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 23, 2012) - BMO Financial Group (TSX: BMO)(NYSE: BMO) and BMO Bank of Montreal -

Second Quarter 2012 Report to Shareholders

BMO Financial Group Reports Another Quarter of Strong Results, Increasing Net Income by 27% Year Over Year to $1.03 Billion

Financial Results Highlights(1):

Second Quarter 2012 Compared with Second Quarter 2011:

 

--  Net income of $1,028 million, up $215 million or 27%

 

--  Adjusted net income(2) of $982 million, up $212 million or 28%

 

--  Reported EPS(3) of $1.51, up 14%

 

--  Adjusted EPS(2,3) of $1.44, up 15%

 

--  Reported ROE of 16.2%, compared with 17.5%

 

--  Adjusted ROE(2) of 15.4%, compared with 16.6%

 

--  Provisions for credit losses of $195 million, down $102 million

 

--  Common Equity Ratio remains strong at 9.90%, using a Basel II approach

 

Year-to-Date 2012 Compared with Year-to-Date 2011:

 

--  Net income of $2,137 million, up $499 million or 31%

 

--  Adjusted net income(2) of $1,954 million, up $367 million or 23%

 

--  Reported EPS(3) of $3.14, up 18%

 

--  Adjusted EPS(2,3) of $2.86, up 11%

 

--  Provisions for credit losses of $336 million, down $284 million

 

For the second quarter ended April 30, 2012, BMO Financial Group (TSX: BMO)(NYSE: BMO) reported strong net income of $1,028 million or $1.51 per share. On an adjusted basis, net income was $982 million or $1.44 per share.

"BMO produced strong financial results again in the second quarter," said Bill Downe, President and Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group. "The consistent focus we have on customers and their success is underpinned by a strong, consistent brand and is grounded in the belief that a relationship bank is relevant to households and companies, as they manage their finances and improve their financial position. Simply stated, the importance we place on giving our customers increased confidence has helped us carve out a distinct position in the marketplace - and is the key to accelerating profitable growth.

"In P&C Canada, our sales efforts are driving higher volumes across most products and higher fee revenues. We continue to benefit from a deeper understanding of customers' evolving needs. In anticipation of market conditions, we acted to introduce offers that we believe are more suitable for all customers - and we are helping to move the market as a consequence, to a better place.

"The integration of our U.S. banking platform is on track. The business has been materially strengthened with expanded access to existing and new regions, increased brand awareness and a better ability to compete in highly attractive markets. The commercial team continues to outperform, and there's visible, strong growth in our commercial and industrial book.

"BMO Capital Markets delivered good performance with higher revenue and net income than last quarter. Obviously, market uncertainty persists, but our diversified portfolio of businesses and broad client base position us well to take advantage of revenue opportunities.

"Private Client Group's net income was up sharply - its best financial performance in two years. The results were strong and we continue to grow. We entered into two definitive agreements to acquire businesses that further enhance our wealth management capabilities and expand our geographic reach. Earlier this month, we opened a representative office in the Gulf Cooperation Council states to get closer to clients we have been dealing with for decades - and raise the visibility of our global asset management capability.

"Our businesses delivered strong performance in a highly competitive environment. Last fall, we embarked on a significant long-term plan to further increase the competitiveness of the bank and enhance our return on equity; the work is well underway, and we're simplifying structures and processes. Ultimately, the BMO brand and the message it carries is our best resource in building the business - and it's also our best protection against uncertainty. There can be no element more important in managing the complexity of regulatory change than our established commitment to making money make sense," concluded Mr. Downe.

Concurrent with the release of results, BMO announced a third quarter dividend of $0.70 per common share, unchanged from the preceding quarter and equivalent to an annual dividend of $2.80 per common share.

(1) Effective the first quarter of 2012, BMO's consolidated financial statements and the accompanying Interim Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as described in Note 1 to the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements. Amounts in respect of comparative periods for 2011 have been restated to conform to the current presentation. References to GAAP mean IFRS, unless indicated otherwise.

(2) Results and measures in this document are presented on a GAAP basis. They are also presented on an adjusted basis that excludes the impact of certain items. Items excluded from second quarter 2012 results in the determination of adjusted results totalled net income of $46 million after tax, comprised of a $55 million after-tax net benefit of credit-related items in respect of the acquired Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (M&I) performing loan portfolio; costs of $74 million ($47 million after tax) for the integration of the acquired business; a $33 million ($24 million after tax) charge for amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets on all acquisitions; the benefit of run-off structured credit activities of $76 million ($73 million after tax); restructuring charges of $31 million ($23 million after tax) to align our cost structure with the current and future business environment; and a decrease in the collective allowance for credit losses of $18 million ($12 million after tax). Items excluded from the year-to-date adjusted results totalled net income of $183 million after tax and consisted of a $169 million after-tax net benefit of credit-related items in respect of the acquired M&I performing loan portfolio; a $144 million ($90 million after tax) charge for the integration of the acquired business; a $67 million ($48 million after tax) charge for amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets; the benefit of run-off structured credit activities of $212 million ($209 million after tax); restructuring charges of $99 million ($69 million after tax) to align our cost structure with the current and future business environment; and a decrease in the collective allowance for credit losses of $18 million ($12 million after tax). All of the adjusting items are reflected in results of Corporate Services except for the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, which is charged across the operating groups. Management assesses performance on both a GAAP basis and adjusted basis and considers both bases to be useful in assessing underlying, ongoing business performance. Presenting results on both bases provides readers with an enhanced understanding of how management views results and may enhance readers' analysis of performance. Adjusted results and measures are non-GAAP and are detailed in the Adjusted Net Income section, and (for all reported periods) in the Non-GAAP Measures section of the MD&A, where such non-GAAP measures and their closest GAAP counterparts are disclosed.

(3) All Earnings per Share (EPS) measures in this document refer to diluted EPS unless specified otherwise. Earnings per share is calculated using net income after deductions for net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries and preferred share dividends. 

 

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BritRail Celebrates The Queen's Diamond Jubilee With a Royal Promotion

 

Get an Extra Travel Day on the BritRail London Plus Pass from June 1st to June 30th, 2012

 

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - May 24, 2012) - In honor of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, BritRail is offering up a promotion that transports visitors beyond the City of London and allows them to experience more of England's coastal beauty and historic charm: from June 1st to June 30th, 2012 get an extra travel day when you purchase a BritRail London Plus Pass and, for those looking to get a glimpse into the royal life, get a Historic Royal 4 Palaces Pass for the price of a Historic Royal 3 Palaces Pass. What better way to enjoy London and beyond this summer for events such as The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics?!

 

The BritRail London Plus Pass is ideal for travelers who would prefer to stay outside of busy London, and travel in for daytime touring, or for London-based travelers who want to venture into the countryside, but return to their London hotel in the evening. Great day trips from London include stops in Oxford, Bristol, Cambridge, Brighton, Bath, Canterbury, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Stratford-Upon-Avon and more. We invite you to refer to the detailed rail map where the highlighted yellow area provides a complete view of where you can go with a BritRail London Plus Pass. Simply select your flexi pass from 2, 4 or 7 days of unlimited rail travel - plus for a limited time only, add an extra day for free!

 

For added convenience visitors will be happy to know that the BritRail London Plus Pass also includes 2 Airport Express coupons valid on the Heathrow Express, Stansted Express or Gatwick Express, making airport transfers to central London hassle free (please note, for European residents, the BritRail Euro London Plus Pass does not include 2 Airport Express coupons, which is reflected in the price).

 

To complete the royal experience, a visit to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace & gardens, Kensington Palace and Banqueting House is also in order. While at the Tower of London, marvel at the new display of the Crown Jewels and don't miss the new exhibition "Victoria Revealed" at Kensington Palace. Admission to all 4 of these royal properties is made possible with a Historic Royal 4 Palaces Pass, now on sale for the price of the 3 palace pass.

 

Get your BritRail Pass and Historic Royal Palaces Pass by visiting BritRail.com, ACPRail.com or by calling 1 866-938-7245 (North America).

 

In addition to being the exclusive global BritRail distributor, ACP Rail also offers an attractive range of rail passes and train tickets, such as new e-tickets for Spain and Italy, Japan Rail Passes, Eurail Passes, InterRail Passes and more. If you are a travel agent interested in booking rail passes, tickets, seat reservations, tours and attractions for your clients please visit www.agent.acprail.com or contact sales@acprail.com for more information.

 

Contact Information

Contacts:
Media Contact:
Angela Guezen
Press Liaison
publicrelations@acprail.com

 © 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved

Job Market for MBAs Improving; Pay Premium Remains

Companies Hiring Leaders With Integrated Reasoning Skills in 2012

RESTON, VA--(Marketwire - May 21, 2012) - More new business school graduates are landing jobs to go with their diplomas amid renewed optimism among employers, according to new data from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Key findings from GMAC's 2012 Global Management Education Graduate Survey and 2012 Corporate Recruiters Survey include:

·         Largest Gains in Small Business: Companies with fewer than 1,000 employees accounted for the largest proportional increase in demand for graduate management hires among the 1,096 global companies surveyed.

·         Students Report More Job Offers: Sixty-two percent of graduating MBAs and other management education graduates surveyed this year reported that they had a job offer, up from 54 percent in 2011.

·         Recruiters are Optimistic: Meanwhile, 79 percent of companies surveyed said that they plan to hire recent MBA graduates this year, compared with 72 percent in 2011.

·         More New Hires per Employer: The average number of planned new hires per employer surveyed increased to 17 in 2012 from 13 last year.

"As companies begin to act on plans to expand, they are hiring talent to help manage strategy and growth to sustain the business for the long term," said Dave Wilson, president and CEO of GMAC. "Particularly noteworthy is the expansion of hiring among smaller companies in our survey, which are key drivers of economic activity. These entrepreneurial firms see real value in the skills that management graduates bring to the workforce."

Employer confidence varies by region, reflecting the unevenness that characterizes the global economy. On average, companies in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States expect continued growth in hiring in 2012 for all management graduates, whereas European companies project that hiring levels in 2012 will be similar to what they saw in 2011.

"These results provide strong evidence on the continued global market recovery, which is also matched with the feedback received from EFMD's business school members," said Eric Cornuel, director general and CEO of EFMD, a key partner in conducting the recruiter survey along with the MBA Career Services Council. "The MBA remains the core degree program of business schools, while master's programs are further gaining in acceptance by employers."

Across the board, leadership skills topped the list of skills employers want in their new management graduate hires. Employers also want new hires that are able to organize and combine information from multiple sources to solve complex problems and make sound judgments. These data analysis and high-level integrated reasoning skills were noted as particularly important to companies looking to hire graduate management students.

"The results provide critical insights for career services professionals into the skills MBAs must possess and the industries which offer the greatest potential for employment," said Nicole Hall, president of the MBA Career Services Council and director of the Career Management Center for the Schools of Business at Wake Forest University.

Salaries

Employers in the U.S. expect to pay MBA graduates substantially more in 2012 than new hires with only a bachelor's degree. This translates into annual earnings for new MBAs that are $40,000 higher, on average, than the salaries bachelor's degree-holders can expect, according to the Corporate Recruiters Survey.

Among students who had at least one job offer at the time the Global Management Education Graduate Survey was conducted in February and March, full-time two-year MBAs saw the largest gains between pre-MBA and post-MBA salaries (81 percent). This is up eight points from last year.

Jobs Report

The most popular industries in which class of 2012 graduates looked for jobs were products and services, consulting and finance/accounting irrespective of program type. The products and services sector yielded the fewest job offers for this year's graduates, but also saw the highest increase in salary from pre-degree to post-degree earnings (75 percent).

In an industry attractiveness index developed by GMAC, more graduates are switching out of the finance/accounting sector than are switching into it in 2012. Despite graduates' highest success rate in landing a job in the manufacturing sector (76 percent), the manufacturing industry is seeing more graduates leaving the industry than switching into it.

For More Information

The 2012 GMAC Global Management Education Graduate Survey and the Corporate Recruiters Survey are available at gmac.com/surveys.

The 2012 GMAC Global Management Education Graduate Survey reflects responses from 5,366 graduating members of the class of 2012 at 136 graduate business schools worldwide. Visit gmac.com/globalgrads for a report about the survey findings.

The 2012 GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey includes responses from 1,096 employers from more than 800 companies in 40 countries. GMAC partnered with the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and the MBA Career Services Council (MBA CSC) to increase survey participation. A summary of the survey results is available at gmac.com/corporaterecruiterssurvey.

About GMAC and the GMAT exam

The Graduate Management Admission Council (www.gmac.com) is a nonprofit education organization of leading graduate business schools and owner of the GMAT® exam, used by more than 5,400 graduate business and management programs worldwide. GMAC is based in Reston, Virginia, and has regional offices in London, New Delhi and Hong Kong. The GMAT exam -- the only standardized test designed expressly for graduate business and management programs worldwide -- is continuously available at nearly 600 test centers in over 110 countries. More information about the GMAT exam is available at mba.com.

Contact:
Bob Ludwig
Office: +1-703-668-9784
Mobile: +1-571-243-1478
rludwig@gmac.com

 © 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved