Sarah Casanova: Chief Executive Officer, McDonald’s Holdings (Japan)

Market Scale and Leadership Context

• Japan is McDonald's second-largest global market, hosting 2,900 restaurants and serving 1.4 billion customers annually.
• Sarah Casanova serves as CEO of McDonald's Japan and has been with the company for 28 years, with 22 years spent working outside Canada.
• Casanova previously served as Head of Marketing in Russia, where she navigated the introduction of Western fast food concepts to a market with no prior exposure to "quick service restaurants."

Strategic Turnaround in Japan

• Upon arrival, the business was in decline, having lost customer trust due to food quality challenges and a disconnection from consumer needs.
• The recovery strategy prioritized direct customer feedback, which identified four core expectations: great tasting food, fast service with a smile, great everyday value, and a fun, modern environment.
• To execute this strategy, the company invested heavily in remodeling, increasing the percentage of modernized restaurants from 25% to 92% over three years.
• This modernization initiative involved remodeling 1,500 to 1,600 locations to align with current customer expectations.

Diversity and Gender Initiatives

• Internal surveys revealed that over 60% of female employees attribute their lack of promotion to a "lack of confidence" rather than a lack of capability.
• Casanova advocates for a shift in mindset, urging women to accept opportunities when offered based on the employer's belief in their ability, rather than waiting to be "perfect" or check every box.
• Male leaders are advised to prioritize the business value of diverse viewpoints ("one plus one equals three") rather than promoting women solely to meet diversity KPIs.
• The company established the "Japanese Women Leadership Network" to facilitate networking between women and men to improve presentation and communication skills.
• Diversity goals are framed as a customer reflection strategy, noting that women make the primary spending decisions for half of the customer base, including families.

Leadership Philosophy and Future Outlook

• Casanova outlines a three-part "formula" for career success: continuous improvement (learning something new daily), building confidence to say "yes" to opportunities, and securing mentorship.
• She emphasizes that leadership requires strength and adaptability but does not require adopting a "masculine" persona, stating, "to lead in a man's world, you don't need to be a man."
• Managerial advice focuses on proactively understanding the root causes of hesitation in potential candidates, which may include concerns about work-life balance or personal development needs.