Business
Women in Restaurant Leadership Announces McDonald's Executive Tabassum Zalotrawala as Opening Keynote for 2026 Together Summit
QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL), a division of WTWH Media, is proud to announce Tabassum Zalotrawala, Senior Vice President of Global Restaurant Design and U.S. Chief Development Officer at McDonald's, will deliver the opening keynote at the WiRL Together Summit, taking place February 25–26, 2026, at the Charleston Marriott.
About this update from Mcdonald's Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL), a division of WTWH Media, is proud to announce Tabassum Zalotrawala, Senior Vice President of Global Restaurant Design and U.S. Chief Development Officer at McDonald's, will deliver the opening keynote at the WiRL Together Summit, taking place February 25–26, 2026, at the Charleston Marriott.","length":407,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Women in Restaurant Leadership","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Women in Restaurant Leadership","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":140,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/65b55a25574ac412a3e03184328aced0"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/CMGkinHF3wbLOcT7F2_zQQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTI0NztjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/65b55a25574ac412a3e03184328aced0","width":400,"height":140}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2748483/WIRL_Logo.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Zalotrawala leads new restaurant development and the optimization of McDonald's 13,000-plus U.S. restaurants, shaping customer and employee experiences through innovative restaurant design across the globe. She sets the company's five-year strategic growth plan for U.S. Development and oversees the Global Restaurant Design Strategy and Standards—working across markets and disciplines to deliver solutions that meet operational needs while elevating guest experiences.","length":478,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"With an accomplished career that includes leadership roles as Chief Development Officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panda Restaurant Group, and Arby's, Zalotrawala brings deep expertise in architecture, real estate, construction, facilities, sourcing, sustainability, and asset management. She is a LEED Accredited Professional, a Board Leadership Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors, and serves on several industry and corporate boards, including the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and DiamondRock Hospitality Company.","length":565,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The 2026 Together Summit marks WiRL's third year as a premier gathering for women leaders in the restaurant indus...