Keynote

Diana Thomas currently serves as U.S. Vice President of Training, Learning and Development. In this role, Thomas leads all aspects of training and development for McDonald’s USA. Thomas and her team are directly responsible for developing and executing McDonald’s restaurant training curriculum at Hamburger University, McDonald’s global training center of excellence.

Under Thomas’ leadership, McDonald’s USA was recently presented with a Learning Elite award from Chief Learning Officer magazine placing 2^nd in the overall ranking amongst top companies from around the world and recognized as one of the top five on the Top 125 list of Fortune 500 companies for training and learning development by Training Magazine. Her direction of U.S. Training is helping build the brand, culture and business results of McDonald’s USA by focusing on successful, consistent operations training systems and standards for all of our U.S. restaurants, our restaurant managers and our crew employees.

With more than 30 years of successful McDonald’s experience, Thomas began her career as a restaurant crew member in 1979, and has since held a variety of positions in key business areas.

Thomas is a member of the American Society of Training and Development, the National Diversity Council, and the CLO Business Intelligence Board. She is also a member of the American Council on Education (ACE) Commission on Lifelong Learning, an Editorial Advisory Board member for Chief Learning Officer Magazine, and a member of Tri-City Family Services’ Board of Directors.

She is a past recipient of the prestigious McDonald’s President’s Award, representing the top one percent of McDonald’s employees, the Golden Arch Partner Award, which honors staff that have committed 25 or more continuous years of service to the company, in addition to numerous regional and team awards.

Thomas holds a master’s degree in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Human Resources Development and Business Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Economics.

Thomas is married with two daughters.