President and CEO, Fair Oaks Farms
Mike Thompson looms large in the boardroom . both figuratively and literally. As the president and CEO of Fair Oaks Farms, which supplies sausage for McDonald’s breakfast favorites to 14,000 restaurants across the country, Thompson plays a major role in McDonald’s continued iconic stature in popular culture.
Having worked with McDonald’s for two decades prior to taking up his current post at Fair Oaks Farms, Thompson has amassed a wealth of knowledge on the importance of being a strong and effective leader. While his work ethic certainly speaks for itself, Thompson was born with something extra that has been long preparing him to lead. “Being 6-foot-9, and playing sports my whole life, I think that through sports I developed many of the leadership skills that I implement today,” Thompson explains. “By being captain of the team, and learning how to play in the team environment, I learned skill sets that have helped people feel confident and comfortable with me leading them. The rest of it is just leadership skills that I was blessed with, and things that I have picked up from my many experiences over the years. I will tell you that I’m learning every day, and I don’t think that I’m totally there by any stretch; but I’m very humbled and feel very blessed to have the opportunity to grow. ”
So how does Thompson’s height affect the boardroom dynamics? Not at all, as his pleasant demeanor and ability to galvanize the masses make that a moot point. “I do tower over most people,” Thompson explains with a hearty laugh. “But, I’m a very friendly person, and I smile a lot – so that usually disarms any negative stereotypes that come with my height. ”
