THE CXO SUMMIT REVIEW
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT
McDonald’ s CPO Alex Snelling Explores Human- Centred AI Systems
WRITTEN BY: OLIVIA HARTLAND-ROBBINS
Alex Snelling, CPO at McDonald’ s IOM Business Unit, explains how HR leaders must guide the practical integration of AI. Addressing executives, Alex warns that overly restrictive corporate regulation of digital tools fails because employees naturally seek efficient solutions. Rather than policing technology usage or tracking narrow speed metrics, organisations must build digital literacy. He cautions that pushing solely for higher output often generates low-quality work. Reflecting on the digital journey at McDonald’ s, Alex highlights how new intelligent platforms automate friction-heavy administrative tasks like inventory forecasting. This critical shift frees restaurant managers to concentrate on human coaching and relationship building, proving that empathy and connection remain the primary competitive differentiators in business today.
Don’ t fall for the trap where the HR profession thinks it is useless because we are not complete AI experts
Alex Snelling CPO McDonald’ s IOM Business Unit
68 November 2026