Kathryn “Katie” Fuentes: Expanding a Family Legacy Through Leadership and Innovation

Title:  Owner/Operator 

Organization: McDonalds

Age: 34

“Ketchup is in my blood”—a phrase that may puzzle some, but one that feels second nature to anyone who is part of the McDonald’s family. Kathryn “Katie” Fuentes is a proud second-generation McDonald’s Owner/Operator whose life has been intertwined with the brand. From celebrating birthday parties in the PlayPlace to helping at the annual Turkey Drive, her restaurants have always felt like a second home.

Katie began working behind the counter at just fifteen years old, balancing academic excellence with hands-on restaurant experience. That same drive led her to the University of Notre Dame for her undergraduate studies and Boston College for graduate school.

In 2015, she began her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in their Deals Capital Markets & Accounting Advisory Services group. In 2021, Katie made the decision to commit full-time to the business started by her father, Phil Fuentes, in 1989. She now serves as CEO of CHBIP Management, Inc., which oversees seven McDonald’s restaurants in the Chicagoland area.

Since joining the organization, Katie has led the acquisition of two restaurants, doubled the number of supervisors, added a Director of Human Resources, and hired a Director of Technology—growing the organization to more than 400 employees. She also strengthened the company’s leadership pipeline through the intentional development of assistant general managers. Her vision is to expand the organization thoughtfully yet ambitiously, balancing growth with operational excellence and strong internal Leadership.

For Katie, McDonald’s represents far more than day-to-day restaurant operations. She serves on the Board of Directors for the McDonald’s Hispanic Owner/Operators Association, and is the Profit Lead for her owner/operator group. While many assume she works in a corporate consulting role when they hear McDonald’s, Katie sees it differently. Though McDonald’s is a Fortune 500 company, to her it remains a family business—one woven into her DNA.

Katie married her childhood sweetheart, Justin Orr, in 2021. Together, they live in Chicago with their two-year-old daughter, Sophia.