Pancho began his restaurant industry career as a McDonald’s Franchisee in 1993 in Tabasco, Mexico, where he owned and operated five restaurants over a period of eight years. His rich tourism and hospitality industry experience prior to becoming an operator, served him well in grasping the business leading him to take a leadership role early on as President of the Mexican Co-op, and later leading the country as Managing Director.
In 2002, he joined McDonald’s Corporation as Vice President of Operations for McDonald’s Mexico. His preparation for the role included transition work in Venezuela, Brazil and the Southern California Region in the US. In 2004, Pancho was named Senior Vice President of Operations, where he assumed additional responsibilities for the six countries of the Central America Region. Two years later, Pancho became Managing Director for McDonald’s Mexico, including his time with Arcos Dorados. In 2009, he transitioned into the US business as Vice President and was assigned to the Indianapolis Region, later became the Vice President of Operations and Franchising for the Greater Chicago Region (Nov. 2009-Jan. 2013). In February 2013, he was appointed to Vice President and General Manager of the Michigan Region, leading during one of the toughest economic downturns by setting the Michigan Vision 2020 plan into motion with capital allocation to revitalize the Detroit market. His leadership during the tough times and his strength in building and fostering partnerships with all three legs of the stool, led him to be tapped for his role of Vice President and General Manager for the Houston Region until August 2018. Prior to joining the Lopez Dorada team as their CEO in June 2022, Pancho served as the Vice President of the Americas for Inspire Brands, where he was responsible for all brands, including Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and Sonic in 16 countries.
Pancho has received many accolades over the years including the prestigious Golden Arch Award. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Plan Execution Award, McDonald’s USA. Those who work with Pancho know that he is a proven thought leader who is committed to achieving results in the spirit of collaboration.
A graduate of Seneca College in Toronto, Canada, Pancho has also earned leadership certifications in Finance and Executive Management through the “Instituto Tecnologico De Estudios Superiores De Monterrey” (ITESM). Strategic Planning at University of Chicago and Brand Mastery by Kellogg School of Management. Additionally, he is a graduate of the prestigious McDonald’s LAMP Program in association with Thunderbird University (Global Management 2004-2005).
Pancho is a Board Member at the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC) as a former Chairman, the largest chapter in USA.