Spartan Profiles: Gloria Santona

MCDONALD’S CHIEF COUNSEL

            About 28 years ago, when she interviewed for an entry-level legal job with McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL, she was asked where she envisioned herself in 10 years.  “I’ll be general counsel,” she replied.  Well, it took a little longer, but Gloria Santona, ’71, is now not only McDonald’s general counsel but also executive vice president and secretary. 

            “Be careful what you ask for,” muses Santona.  “Being a general counsel sounds very glamorous but it’s a very demanding job.”  Gloriamanages a team of 73 attorneys in the U.S. and 60 lawyers in 90 countries, all working for the world’s largest restaurant operation with 30,208 restaurants in 120 countries generating more than $50 billion in annual sales.  Is she loving it?  “Absolutely,” says Gloria, who joined McDonald’s in 1977 after receiving her law degree from the University of Michigan.  “We have a wonderful staff.  We’ve been blessed.” 

            A native of Merrillville, IN, Gloria was a National Merit Scholar.  “MSU did a fabulous job of recruiting me,” she recalls.  “When I visited the campus, I had stars in my eyes.  Wow!”  She calls her years at MSU “fabulous” and remembers the beautiful campus, as well as the march to the Capitol in protest of the Vietnam War. 

            A biochemistry major, she wanted to be a doctor, but eventually decided on law school.  One of the lawyers who interviewed her at McDonald’s was Douglas Frazier, now her husband and working in private practice.  They have a nine-year-old son Daniel and live in Hinsdale, just 10 minutes from Oak Brook.  Says Gloria, “If I have to go to a soccer game I can cut out and be back an hour later.” 

            What is the secret to her success?  Gloria says that earlier in her career she had opportunities to do a lot of work on different things.  “It was a lot of work,” she recalls, “but I learned so much. That really helped me later.”