Pancho Gonzalez

Pancho began his career in the restaurant industry as a McDonald’s Franchisee in 1993 in Tabasco, Mexico, where he owned and operated five restaurants over eight years. In 2002, Pancho joined McDonald’s Corporation as Vice President of Operations for McDonald’s Mexico, with preparation in Venezuela, Brazil, and Southern California. In 2004, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations, overseeing the Central America Region. Two years later, he became Managing Director for McDonald’s Mexico, also working with Arcos Dorados. In 2009, Pancho transitioned to the U.S. business as Vice President for the Indianapolis Region, and later, Vice President of Operations and Franchising for the Greater Chicago Region (Nov. 2009–Jan. 2013). In February 2013, he became Vice President and General Manager of the Michigan Region, leading the region through a difficult economic downturn and implementing the Michigan Vision 2020 plan, including capital allocation to revitalize the Detroit market. His success in navigating these challenges led him to serve as Vice President and General Manager for the Houston Region until August 2018. Before joining Lopez Dorada as CEO in June 2022, Pancho served as Vice President of the Americas for Inspire Brands, overseeing all brands including Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and Sonic across 16 countries. Pancho has earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including the prestigious Golden Arch Award and the Outstanding Plan Execution Award from McDonald’s USA. Known as a proven thought leader, he is deeply committed to achieving results through collaboration. A graduate of Seneca College in Toronto, Pancho has completed leadership certifications in Finance and Executive Management through the Instituto Tecnologico De Estudios Superiores De Monterrey (ITESM), Strategic Planning at the University of Chicago, and Brand Mastery at Kellogg School of Management. He is also a graduate of McDonald’s LAMP Program in association with Thunderbird University (Global Management 2004-2005). Pancho is Chairman Emeritus of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC) and serves as a Board Member for the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC) and the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Recently, he was appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Economic Advisory Council, which covers Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico.