5 Things to Know About McDonald’s Global Chief People Officer Heidi Capozzi

Heidi Capozzi has joined McDonald’s as its new Global Chief People Officer. Here’s what you should know about Heidi and what she’ll bring to the role:

1. She understands the complexity and rigor of working for a Fortune 50 Company. Heidi first joined The Boeing Company in 2009 and held several different roles at the organization before becoming Senior Vice President of Human Resources in 2016. She’s eager to take what she’s learned at this large, multinational company and apply it to her new role at McDonald’s, all while speaking with McDonald’s employees around the world and getting to know our business from the ground up.

2. She’s always learning. Heidi majored in political science and East Asian studies as an undergrad. After college, she spent a few years living in Japan and has traveled extensively across Eastern Asia. This led to her strong belief in continuous learning and the importance of a global mindset – something she plans to bring to her onboarding at McDonald’s. She is looking forward to spending time in McDonald’s restaurants and with McDonald’s suppliers around the world as part of her onboarding process commitment to learning the business inside and out.

3. Helping people succeed is in her DNA. Throughout Heidi’s professional life she has invested her time mentoring people at all stages of their careers. She believes that mentorship and inclusivity go hand-in-hand. Both must be paired with the right resources and processes to support long term growth for the individual and the business. At Boeing she led the development of programs and policies that root out bias in hiring, added clear diversity and inclusion actions to manager incentive plans and pushed for transparency in an effort to educate and challenge the business to create more inclusive programs. She carries this over into her community work with Midtown Educational Foundation where she supports helping young women pursue academic and job-related success. She says, “I have had a lot of success in my life thanks to those willing to invest in my development. It’s critical that I not only pay that forward but teach others how to reach out and help their peers in the same way.”

4. She’s well-traveled, but a Midwesterner through and through – and loves calling Chicago home. Heidi grew up outside of the Twin Cities, has lived on both coasts and has spent a considerable amount of time travelling globally. She attended Oberlin College in Ohio and completed her Master’s Degree in Human Resources, Industrial Relations at the University of Minnesota. She’s also called the Windy City home for five years.

5. She's always down for an ice cream break. Growing up, Heidi’s mom would take her out for McDonald’s ice cream as a special treat. That tradition continues today: Heidi’s two daughters - when they’re not playing field hockey or riding horses - enjoy going to McDonald’s for some cones with their grandma any chance they get.