Claire Babrowski
By Sabrina Smith Davis

laire Babrowski (EMBA '95) started out washing dishes at McDonald's. It must have seemed inconceivable to her, at age 16, that one day she would be responsible for 8,000 restaurants in one of the world's most volatile regions and would become a member of McDonald's executive team.

Working at McDonald's as a high school student, she quickly advanced to cooking fries, working at the front counter and eventually working in the kitchen, a feat for a woman in the 1970s.

"We had to wear skirts and white shoes," Babrowski said. "There was a lot of bending and lifting, which at that time was considered not appropriate for women."

Babrowski took a break from working at McDonald's when she entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Soon, she was working at the golden arches again and was promoted to restaurant manager. It was while she was a junior premed major that Babrowski decided not to pursue plans to follow her dentist father into health care and struck out boldly on her own path.

"I was sitting in calculus class, but my mind was focused on McDonald's," she said. "After class, I rode my bike to the restaurant and never went back to school, at least not at that time."

Over the next 10 years, Babrowski advanced at McDonald's. In the early 1990s, during her tenure managing 370 restaurants as vice president for the company's Raleigh region, she attended a meeting that became a career turning point.

At a meeting of top level managers, a speaker emphasized how impressed he was with a new crop of MBA interns. "He said we'd all be working for them - someday," Babrowski said. "It became clear to me that an MBA was a prerequisite for the things I wanted to do in my career."

Babrowski credits UNC Kenan-Flagler's Executive MBA Program with strengthening her knowledge of global business issues, which is important to her now. After receiving her MBA, she rose to senior vice president of operations.

Two years ago, she was named president of the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa sector for McDonald's.

Babrowski is charged with building sales and profitability, improving returns on asset investment and developing the McDonald's brand. She has full accountability for developing a robust talent pool.

She likened her position to the head of a major corporation - each McDonald's sector operates somewhat independently. McDonald's brand is consistent worldwide, but the products differ from region to region.

"The essence of this brand isn't invested in the products," Babrowski said. "It's more in the business model - quick service, cleanliness, affordability, a fun environment and a place that's appropriate for the family."

One of Babrowski's current challenges is supporting partners who are coping with anti-globalization sentiments.

"People look for symbols of America to express their displeasure, and McDonald's is one of the symbols they think of," Babrowski said. "In the Middle East, the majority of McDonald's restaurants are locally owned. Our partners do a great job of explaining that if you want to boycott McDonald's, you're harming local employees and farmers."

Now 45, Babrowski said she's not sure of her next step. But if asked 20 years ago what she planned to do next, she would have given the same answer:

"The work is all-consuming and rewarding. I find myself completely and totally immersed in it."