McDonald’s Derrick Ross on How to Become a Franchisee
Marketing Manager, McDonald’s Corporation
photo by steed media service
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For
the past nine years, Derrick Ross, a marketing manager with the
McDonald’s Corporation, has proudly walked across the threshold of the
golden arches to achieve his one abiding passion: serving his
community. He accomplishes this in two ways: one, he is a strong
advocate for providing opportunities for his peers through the Black
McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA); and two, he believes in giving
back to the community.
“The
Black McDonald’s Operators Association is very entrenched in the
community — supporting different initiatives and organizations that
serve the needs of the community, including education,” he says.
Ross divulges a few steps that potential owner-operators should
consider when exploring franchisee opportunities with McDonald’s. “With
the BMOA’s being involved in the community, learning who some of the
owner-operators are and getting perspectives from them on their
entrepreneurial ventures as it relates to the McDonald’s brand …
including our Web site [nbmoa.org], [helps them] to learn more about
franchising opportunities and the requirements associated with becoming
a McDonald’s operator,” he says.
Ross came to love his job in a little different manner than other
McDonald’s managers. He attributes his job appreciation to his mother,
who rewarded him with visits to McDonald’s while growing up in East St.
Louis, Ill. “My fondest McDonald’s memory as a kid is just going to
McDonald’s. Growing up it was a treat something … that my mother
would treat me to whether it was for performing well in school [or]
just in general to demonstrate to me that she was proud of me for
certain accomplishments. Those memories still ring fondly with me and
are part of the reason why I am so happy to be working with the
McDonald’s brand and the BMOA.” –yvette caslin
