Randy Lai, CEO of McDonald’s Hong Kong, on five decades of innovation and cultural collaboration

What is your proudest work accomplishment?
I love the brand so much. I’m so proud to see the evolution of the brand from an ordinary fast-food player to a pop culture trendsetter. But a project that’s really close to my heart is the Level 5 accreditation we received in 2023. [The qualification, which falls under the government-recognised Hong Kong Qualifications Framework, is a professional diploma in management development. McDonald’s is the first F&B brand in Hong Kong to offer such a programme; it provides its restaurant staff with management training, and the qualification is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.] Most people have the perception that if you work at McDonald’s, you must not be doing well with your studies.

I acknowledge the fact that for many people, McDonald’s is their first job—whether they’re working part-time, have no experience or if nobody would hire them. We welcome people from all walks of life to work at our restaurants. But deep down in my heart, I really want to [change this perception]. Don’t look down on a 20-year-old store manager. They are brilliant because they are handling a restaurant with 100 people and their average annual sales could be a sizeable business—more than an SME. We’re probably the largest youth employer in Hong Kong, with almost 16,000 employees—half of them are under the age of 24. Our programme means that every restaurant manager—and I have 270 of them—has undergone the accreditation. For the graduation ceremony, we booked the M+ museum and extended an invitation to their families. Doing things with dignity is very important.

Describe your leadership style in three words.
Fun, firm and fair.

Do you have a mentor?
Sarah Casanova. I got to know her when she was the CMO of McDonald’s Japan. I sat beside her for the whole week and observed how she interacted with others. The first piece of coaching she gave me was: “Draw a picture of yourself. How would you want people to talk about you after a year in this role?”. So I started to put down words like hard-working, loving, patient and innovative. And from there, she said, “So if this is what you want to be seen as after 12 months, you now need to start working on your culture, your lifestyle and your management style to fit with those attributes.”

What do you think has led to your success?
I jog. Really hardcore outdoor jogging from South Bay to Repulse Bay. Jogging as a sport, to me, is close to being a CEO. First of all, I am on my own with just my Nike watch—I can’t lie to myself and I have to push myself. I don’t listen to music when I’m jogging because I really want to hear my heart and look at the greenery—and that’s how I get a lot of my new ideas. Jogging is about determination. Sometimes the weather is nice, sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s too windy. But you have to commit to doing it no matter what the weather looks like.

What is one piece of advice that you think has carried you throughout your career?
Stay hungry—pun intended. I never stop learning and I never stay complacent.

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