Young Marketing Leader of the Year: McDonald's Hannah Pain

Since joining McDonald’s in 2015 as brand manager, Hannah Pain’s approach to marketing has been exemplary. A number of high profile and hugely effective campaigns under her belt have helped McDonald’s send levels of “brand love” to an all-time high.

Among her many highlights were a McFlurry campaign aimed at 16-24 year-olds, while in 2017 she smashed already high expectations and delivered McDonald’s most successful ever Christmas campaign, and her work on the launch of McDelivery in the UK, adding 1% to sales within a short space of time.

In a marketing world that is sometimes over-enamoured with data and science, Pain’s “gut feel” and intuition combine powerfully with McDonald’s insight-led approach, resulting in campaigns that are shaped and adapted for optimal relevance to both external and internal audiences.

Meanwhile, her strong strategic thinking and “infectious personality”, led to her promotion to senior brand manager in 2017.

Not only does Pain’s work help the company drive its bottom line, she has proven an inspiration to her colleagues. “Hannah’s positivity impacts everyone she works with and her tenacity in driving work to be the best it can be is second to none,” says Emile Somers, McDonald’s vice-president of marketing and food development. “She is a truly talented individual and an inspiring leader of tomorrow.”