By Heidi Glunz, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, McDonald's Corporation

Hello- I began working for McDonald's a year and a half ago in Corporate Social Responsibility, joining the team with a background in public policy, nonprofit organizations and management consulting.

Shortly after I started, I learned that a number of nongovernmental organizations had contacted McDonald's as sponsors of the Olympics in Beijing. These well-intended organizations raised issues regarding the host country, and at points, McDonald's was shed in a negative light for sponsoring the Olympics.

I recognize that the goal of some organizations is to create awareness on an issue - using every outlet possible to spread that awareness - which I respect. As a newcomer to the company, I also appreciate McDonald's interest in engaging in dialogue with the organizations and the culture of listening, learning and acting on the right thing to do.

My personal perspective of the Olympics stems from my experience as an eager spectator of the Games from the time I was young. My nine siblings and I used to cover the doorways of our home with newspaper clippings of the Olympics. I'm not sure how we would have expressed our enthusiasm in the Internet Age, but perhaps we would have taken a similar approach by printing out images of the world's best athletes.

The four years leading up to the Olympics only heightened our anticipation of the Games. My most vivid Olympic memory, like so many Americans, was the victory of the US over the USSR in hockey. I remember the ten of us literally jumping up and down in celebration. There were political overtones that we didn't unerstand, and so to us, that was secondary to the success of our athletes.

Two of my sisters and I had "Dorothy Hamill" haircuts, and our distant cousin knew speed skaters Eric and Beth Heiden. That was enough for us to boast to friends and gave us even more of a personal stake in the Games. We pretended to be different Olympic athletes, depending on the sport we were playing. I remember my uncle pleading with us to stop our gymnastics routine to join the family dinner. He told us to "Come and catch" your dinner - using a play on words in honor of one of our favorites, Nadia Comaneci.

I have always enjoyed the personal stories of the athletes - from Mary Lou Retton to Apolo Ohno. Their sacrafices to be the best, often with the support of their families - or amazingly, sometimes without much support at all - provide inspiration and motivation. And I am so glad that McDonald's - along with many others - supports these athletes and has for thirty years.

Much like my perspective when I was younger, I think the primary focus of the Olympics is the athletes - their hopes and success in competing and striving for Gold. That's what inspired me as a child and continues to do so, though I no longer jump up and down to show my enthusiasm.

So it is with this perspective that I watch the Games - to learn about the athletes and celebrate their success. Thankfully, now I only have to wait every two years to get that Olympic inspiration.

-Heidi

The upcoming summer Olympics in Beijing are just around the corner, and they continue to stir up a whirlwind of interest from the media, NGOs and sports fans from around the world.

As an Olympics Top Sponsor, McDonald's has been the focus of some of the interest as well, as stakeholders look to learn more about how McDonald's is performing on some of the social and environmental issues being discussed as the Games approach.

For instance, Greenpeace just released a report that assesses how well environmental issues are being addressed at the Beijing Games. McDonald's is listed in the "missed opportunity" category because we are in the testing phase with a limited amount of equipment that uses non-HFC refrigerants. Greenpeace believes we can do more. So do we, but being green is not always easy!

We are, and have been for several years, advocates for finding alternative refrigerants. Today's technologies of HFC-based refrigerants are not sustainable, and they are a known contributor to climate change. McDonald's opened the first-ever HFC-free restaurant in Denmark a few years ago, and we continue to challenge our suppliers to come up with alternatives.

Since a wider demand in the food service industry can help spur this along, we joined a coalition called Refrigerants Naturally! If I had to score ourselves on this, I would give high scores for intent and effort, and lower scores on actual impact on the refrigerant industry. This is partly because McDonald's is a small purchaser of refrigerants. We estimate we represent 1/10th of a percent of the marketplace. However, the challenge we have set for any alternative refrigerant equipment is to be at least equal if not better in its energy efficiency.

Our impacts related to electrical energy usage in our restaurants represent a far bigger opportunity so that's where we focus a lot of our environmental efforts. In eliminating HFC refrigerants, together with more energy efficiency, we will have a clear win-win for improving our environmental footprint.

Greenpeace highlighting what companies like McDonald's and others can do to improve the environment at the Olympic Games, and in our operations globally, serves a good purpose.

As a final note, I have to say that I cannot wait to watch the Beijing Games!. At the end of the day, there is nothing better than seeing great athletes, from all parts of the world, coming together in the spirit of Olympic competition. That's why McDonald's has been a long-time supporter of the Olympics, supporting the world's athletes. It reminds me of a new McDonald's commercial that communicates the true meaning of the Olympic Games in a compelling way. Click on the attachment below, "The more we get together", and you can have a look.

-Bob

Having just returned from an update on our company's diversity efforts and plans for the future, I am reminded of one of the core reasons I truly love working at McDonald's. Our definition of diversity is as holistic and inclusive as it can be, and so we are, in my mind, the very embodiment of diversity in action.

There's no cookie-cutter image of what a successful person looks or acts like here. From the restaurants to the corporate offices, people that roll up their sleeves and work hard, can grow in the company to the highest levels. Education is welcome, but it can be practical, on the job education. People at McDonald's don't really care what school(s) you went to or what degrees you hold. And of course, the same goes for any other socio-economic-demographic characteristic that makes us each different and unique.

Recently, I participated in an internal professional gathering in Asia with some of my colleagues in APMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa). Talk about diversity! I was put on a team for the week with McDonald's leaders from Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. I was on another team for after-hours team building competitions with folks from Turkey. Separately, I presented on environmental issues to leaders from countries as diverse as China, Korea, Japan, India, Australia and South Africa.

And while I was thinking how wonderful it was to be part of such a diverse gathering, I was also reminded how we are really all the same. When I was in Asia, I did not feel different than those around me, but rather experienced a sameness with them. We were all together - diverse, but the same. We were - we are - just people working hard within a corporate culture that values us as individuals working for a common cause and purpose.

When the true meaning of diversity is actualized, it brings people together, not apart. I believe this is a reality at McDonald's, and a key ingredient to our success as a company. While there is a considerable amount of conflict in society today, I think it is interesting to see the harmony that can exist in the corporate sector - at least from my vantage point.

I would be curious to hear if any blog readers have observed the same in their own company(s). If so, please share.

-Bob

By Rich Floersch, Chief Human Resources Officer, McDonald's

Every day, those of us who work in the McDonald's headquarters come in contact with the outstanding employees who work in our home office restaurant called "the Arch." The Arch operates much like any other McDonald's restaurant and is led by a restaurant manager named Laura Cudebec.

Restaurant managers like Laura receive a great deal of training and development, and their jobs carry a significant amount of responsibility. Laura is the star of a recent video we have created and is a terrific example of the growth and opportunities we offer our employees. In the video, she talks about joining McDonald's almost thirty years ago when she had small children, and she has been with the company ever since. Laura's experience isn't unique. She's one of thousands of restaurant employees who have found exciting and rewarding careers at McDonald's.

-Rich