Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Cohon, George A.
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1937-present
History
George Cohon is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, with a B.Sc. degree. He graduated from Northwestern University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate degree. He is the founder of McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and Founder of McDonald's in Russia. In addition, Mr. Cohon is the Founder of Ronald McDonald Children's Charities in Canada and Russia.
In 1967, Mr. Cohon moved to Toronto as the Licensee of McDonald's Corporation for Eastern Canada. McDonald's Canadian operations expanded rapidly and in 1971, after McDonald's Corporation reacquired his license, Mr. Cohon became Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited - positions he held until July 1992. He has received an Officer of the Order of Canada, Russia's Order of Friendship and the Israeli Prime Minister's Medal. He has received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, an honourary doctorate from University of Haifa, an honourary doctorate from Simon Fraser, and is a member of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.