McDonald’s Support Women in Business
With the NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) Awards behind us, we want to shine the spotlight on each of our award winners and sponsors. This year, McDonald’s sponsored the Franchisee of the Year award won by Anne Wainwright from McDonald’s.
“McDonald’s UK was delighted to sponsor the EWIF Woman Franchisee of the Year Award and acknowledge the huge contribution that women make to the franchising sector. This is our second year sponsoring the EWIF Awards and we continue to be impressed by the accomplishments of the franchisees,” Brian Throne, Franchising Recruitment & Reputation Consultant.
Anne was recognised not only for her dedication to the McDonald’s brand and the growth of her own business but for her commitment to her local community and to the welfare and learning of her franchisees. Anne was well-deserving of the award and shows how dedicated McDonald’s are to encouraging women into franchising.
“Women now account for less than a quarter (23%) of franchisees in the UK, and there remains the chance to increase awareness of the opportunities that come with owning a business. By sponsoring the EWIF Awards we are delighted to celebrate their achievements and support EWIF in promoting the potential opportunities that exist in franchising for women, especially those that might not have previously considered our sector,” adds Brian.
Although she is a busy business owner, Anne still contributes to McDonald’s UK National Leadership Group and spends time as a mentor for the West Yorkshire enterprise agency and was a guest speaker at the National Black Woman’s Network where she spoke about the advancement of women in business.
“The theme of this year’s EWIF awards was ‘Making it Happen’. In June, McDonald’s UK will celebrate 30 years of franchising and over the coming year we have exciting plans to shine a light on the importance of franchising to the UK economy. This activity will also highlight the contribution made by our excellent female franchisees, encouraging women to not only open their eyes to the world of franchising but also to encourage them to consider franchising as a career,” adds Brian.
EWIF’s primary focus is to support women who are looking for a route into the franchise industry. Our remit is threefold; to encourage women to consider buying a franchise, to encourage business women to franchise their existing operations and to help franchisors attract more women to their networks. We are a not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, providing advice and guidance to anyone looking at trying to break into the franchise industry.
Click here to find out more about the 2016 EWIF Awards.