Michael A. Donahue

Brand & Communications Strategy Specialist: Results-driven senior leader with forward-thinking approach centered on company success and competitive growth. Demonstrated record of building successful teams and managing profitable operations at the highest levels of corporate leadership.

• Brand face and public voice of McDonald’s. The McDonald’s C-suite invariably tapped me as the trusted and primary liaison, voice, and face to external stakeholders. I was sent into both friendly and highly antagonistic settings in matters of mission-critical opportunity as well as those of volatility, sensitivity, and pervasive organizational risk. I consistently demonstrated sound messaging, business acumen, and charisma.
• Strategized and piloted major industry issues including Mad Cow disease, obesity, and responsible sourcing.
• Acted as the go-to senior leader impacting brand development and as primary contact in key sensitive relationships including Paul Newman (Newman’s Own Dressing products), Colin Powell, and Dr. Dean Ornish, earned media, PR agencies and more.
• “Out-of-the-box” solutions pioneer. Developed novel, innovative strategies and execution plans for many external stakeholder groups, impacting Brand McDonald’s, other companies, clients, and celebrity influencers. Repeatedly handled the tasks that “couldn’t be done” for the organization.
• Devised and directed original approaches and projects with activist groups who were targeting the food service industry’s most recognized brand. Provided proactive leadership forging teams and genuine cooperation with activist environmental groups including Greenpeace and Environmental Defense Fund, with labor-oriented groups, and others.
• Architected the approach and directly planned, coordinated, and faced the national media, including the D.C. Influential National Press Club presentation and response to Congressional/Senate challenge to McDonald’s nutrition and other matters. I dramatically flipped the focus and discussion, moving conversations from defensive opposition to a cooperative focus on existing positive nutrition as well as opportunities to continue to elevate McDonald’s contribution to overall nutrition and customer health. I produced unexpected positive outcomes while repeatedly stopping activist campaigns targeting the company.

• Sports & Entertainment Promotions: Served as the Senior Advisor in branding and launching of the new, industry disruptive Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) organization with Haymon Sports, LLC. This effort was the first successful launch of alternative boxing promotion and entertainment in decades. Led other notable celebrity and influencer relationships and campaigns.
• Anticipatory Issues Management (AIM) evangelist. I introduced and relentlessly drove the transformation from a dynastic culture of “crisis management” (I banned the use of the term) to a progressive and proactive AIM culture. Led global strategic management processes to detect and plan appropriate response to emerging trends and changes in the cultural, economic, and socio-political environments. Directly responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars of cost savings, enhanced sales, and brand equity at McDonald’s and other clients and organizations.
• Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) advocacy. Created the first McDonald’s Social Responsibility & Public Affairs Office, driving ESG imperatives years before corporate sensitivity to these priorities became mainstream.
• Co-founder Partner of Industry Revolutionizing LYFE (Love Your Food Everyday) Kitchen. LYFE Kitchen created a new model and category of “Great Tasting, Good for You Food.” Served as a key executive launching this innovative fast-casual restaurant chain promising functional, locally sourced foods and never using artificial ingredients. Received hundreds of millions of media impressions, an extraordinary results for a start-up entity.
• Association Management Leadership. Served in multiple organizations representing Retailers, Hospitality, and Small Business Owners. Served as the National President of the Professional Association representing fellow, corporate, and NGO multi-dimensional trade associations in virtually every industry at the local, state, and national levels.