5 minutes with… Zoey Rimmer

1) Can you tell us how you came to be in your role?

Well I first joined McDonald’s 30 years ago as a part-time crew member whilst studying for my A-Levels and soon realised this was a business that I could build my career in. I progressed very quickly and was running my own restaurant by the time I was 22.

I was then promoted to consultant at 30 which, looking back, was a lot of responsibility! I went on to join our Corporate People Team, and have been here for around 10 years, with much of my time spent as a Learning & Development facilitator which I loved.

I facilitated training sessions for all levels of the business using different learning interventions and watching people thrive is a true pleasure of mine.

In my current role as Culture & Inclusion consultant I’m able to support and shape the vision for the business. Having the opportunity to do so for a brand as large as McDonald’s is incredibly exciting. 

By leveling the playing field and really dismantling barriers to inclusion, I know we can help thousands of individuals across the business.

2) Can you share an ‘inclusion moment’ with us – a time when you have felt included either at work or in your personal life?

I think the first thing to say is that I don’t view inclusion as specific event.

I see it every day, from our corporate business to our restaurant teams supporting customers and it’s these real-life examples that really resonate with me.

In our corporate business, we have our internal Inclusion Network that all teams can come along to and talk about topics that are important to them. 

It’s so humbling to hear about people’s journeys and how different they can be to your own, as well as knowing that our people feel comfortable sharing these experiences with the group. It’s a powerful network and one that I’m proud of.  

3) What do you love most about your role?

Not only do I get to work for a brand that I truly feel passionate about, I’m able to help influence and support all of our employees – over 140,000 people – on their inclusion journey.  

As a business, our aspiration is to be the most inclusive employer and knowing that my role allows me to shape what that looks like for the long-term is a real privilege. 

It’s important that we use our scale and brand for good and create sustainable partnerships that help shape perceptions that McDonald’s really is for everyone.

4) What is a typical day like for you?

My day starts with breakfast with the kids and the school run – I have four children and family values are super important to me. It’s a busy family but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

I then have several calls with various different departments and our Operations teams – there’s lots of collaboration that goes on. This ranges from holding an internal Creating Belonging session, dialing up our internal listening strategy to understand how our people feel about certain topics within the business, or simply sharing best practice.

The activity that our teams are creating around inclusion is fantastic to see. My role is understanding how we can scale up some of these great ideas, and turn them into fantastic initiatives that really impact all of our employees’ life cycles. 

We’re also able to share these ideas with our Global Team and further discuss the greater impact these can have throughout the entire business.

5) What’s been you most memorable moment in your inclusion career?

I have had lots of moments and I hope many more to come. Being together with like-minded people on an inclusion journey where we share lived experiences and change perceptions is just magic for me. 

This year I’m particularly excited about our involvement with Inclusive Employers at National Inclusion Week and another event planned for later in the year, which will undoubtedly be a memorable moment for both me and the wider McDonald’s business.

To meet more people that make inclusion an everyday reality, see our full series of “5 minutes with…”