President honours McDonald’s franchisee who ‘uses business success as a force for good’

A McDonald’s franchisee and philanthropist has been commended by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce president Nasir Awan for “using his business success as a force for good”.

Doug Wright, the owner of Wright Restaurants (t/a McDonalds) and chair of the Kids’ Village charity, received the President’s Award during the GBCC’s annual awards at the ICC in Birmingham.

Nasir paid tribute to the business success and charitable endeavours of Mr Wright, who employs just under 3,000 people at his McDonald’s restaurants across the region and is currently serving as High Sheriff of the West Midlands.

The president said: “Over the years, Doug worked his way up within the McDonald’s corporation, becoming a franchisee in 2002 with aspirations to own two restaurants.

“Today, he proudly manages one of McDonald’s largest franchised organisations, employing over 2,900 people and contributing more than £50 million annually to the West Midlands economy.

“His dedication to the brand has earned him numerous accolades, including the title of ‘Global Franchisee of the Year’ in 2016.

“Doug is deeply committed to charity work, a passion sparked by a life-altering car crash at the age of 20 that left him partially paralyzed for three months.”

Mr Wright raised millions of pounds during his six years as chair of Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

In 2023, he was appointed chair of Kids’ Village, the Lichfield-based charity which is seeking to raise £5m to build the UK’s first holiday village providing respite care for sick children and their families.

Nasir added: “Doug also supports various organisations, including Birmingham Pride, Sense, Birmingham Hippodrome, and 15 grassroots football teams, and serves as a special adviser at Miss Macaroon.

“In his role as High Sheriff of the West Midlands, Doug has visited over 100 different organisations and charities since the beginning of his shrieval year, emphasising the importance of promoting social cohesion and reducing knife crime, among other community-focused initiatives. 

“His commitment is to use his business success as a force for good.”

Mr Wright said: “It was extremely special to receive such a prestigious award from Nasir who I hold in such a high regard.

“I also took a moment to realise that many of my achievements have been GBCC-supported and championed by so many different people since I became a patron.

“Congratulations to all of the award winners and thank you to everyone who has contributed to my success.

“Our city and collective wider region have so much to celebrate and the GBCC awards truly demonstrate the importance of business using our collective forces to influence the vitality and vibrancy of the West Midlands.”

Pictured: Doug Wright and Nasir Awan