Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño

Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño (29 July 1934 – 6 September 2021), also referred to as Doña Yoly, was a Chilean-Guatemalan businesswoman and philanthropist. She managed the McDonald's franchise in Guatemala from its start in 1974 and is recognized for having introduced a concept for a small children's menu to the company that would lead to the creation of the "Happy Meal".

Early life Fernández de Cofiño was born in Santiago de Chile, where she lived until she was 20 years old. In 1956 her father was appointed Chilean ambassador for Guatemala, so she relocated to Guatemala with the rest of her family. In Guatemala she met and later married José María Cofiño Valladares; they had five children together. The idea was noticed by executives at the McDonald's corporate offices in the US, who advised her to present the menu in the World Franchisee Convention in 1977. McDonald's adopted the idea and implemented it worldwide in 1979, renaming it to "Happy Meal". Fernández de Cofiño received a "Ronald Award" from the corporation. The first McHappy Day in Guatemala was held in 1999; in this day, all the profit from Big Mac sales is destined for the foundation.

Death Fernández de Cofiño died in Guatemala City on 6 September 2021.

Awards These are some of the awards granted to Fernández de Cofiño for her business and social work:

Two "Ronald Awards", granted by McDonald's in 1980 for the idea of holding birthday celebrations in restaurants, and in 1982 for the creation of the "Ronald Menu". She received the "Golden Arches" award, which is the highest award granted by McDonald's Corporation to its franchisees. Recognized as one of "The 12 Most Important Guatemalans of 2001" by the Managers' Association of Guatemala, due to her social work. In 2002 she received "The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World" award in Paris, France; this award is granted to 40 businesswomen from all around the world who stand out due to their social work. In 2006 she received the "Illustrious Guatemalan" award in the Business category. In 2014 she was honored by Guatemala's Chamber of Industry due to her work as an entrepreneur. In 2018 she received the Recognition of Business Excellence from Forbes for her business career.