Chamber board member honoured by university
Chamber patron and board member Doug Wright is to receive an honorary degree from Aston University today.
He is being recognised for his services to the business community and his charity work.
Mr Wright (pictured) will receive the honour as part of a week of ceremonies taking place between 18 and 22 July at The Eastside Rooms hotel and conference centre in Birmingham.
Mr Wright is the chief executive officer of his franchised restaurant company which operates 22 McDonald 's restaurants across the West Midlands.
He began his career at McDonald 's as a cleaner, one day before he left school in 1981.
Mr Wright became a franchisee in 2002 and now operates one of McDonald 's largest franchised organisations employing over 2,200 people.
In 2016 he was a recipient of the Fred L Turner Golden Award which recognises the best McDonald 's franchisees in their global system.
Doug dedicates a lot of his time to charity work. His inspiration comes from being hospitalised for nearly a year at the age of 20.
He was chairman of the Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham for six years, a charity providing a home away from home to families whilst their children are being treated at Birmingham Children 's Hospital.
In 2019, Mr Wright was awarded an honorary doctorate by Birmingham City University and named the regional EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
He is a patron and non-executive director of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and mentors many local businesses and young entrepreneurs.
He was also awarded an MBE in The Queen 's Birthday Honours list in 2022.
Mr Wright said: “I 'm delighted to receive this honorary doctorate from such a prestigious university.
“I hope that my story inspires graduates to go on to create their own success in business.
“I 've always used my business success as a force for good and to create a culture within my workforce where people feel included, valued and special. I believe my own values are mirrored and closely aligned to Aston University. ”
Professor George Feiger, executive dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences, said: “I am delighted that Aston University has bestowed this honour on Doug.
“Doug is an inspirational figure in the regional business community, not only for his passion for charity work, but for his dedication to business which saw him move through the ranks to later run his own successful restaurant franchise. ”