Yum! Brands CEO shares his formula for running the world's largest restaurant company

Novak, who arrived on his private jet, took time off his busy schedule to meet two academics from the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) to share his ideas on how to run a successful corporation.

Dr. Melodena S. Balakrishnan, Assistant Professor in Marketing and Dr. Lien Els, Associate Professor in Human Resources, UOWD, who are researching service perceptions, had an exclusive breakfast meeting with Novak who shared with them some of his values and insights on running the world's largest restaurant company. Novak has been credited with turning Yum! Brands Inc into a major success story by combining marketing with human relations.

The UOWD professors presented him with a memento in recognition of his tremendous contribution to the concept of 'Customer Mania'. Novak manages a corporation that employs nearly a million people, driven by a culture of "Customer Mania" a concept where every employee must go beyond what the customer expects. He passionately champions 'inside-outside' culture where People come first.... He says, "Too many companies think about profits first - how you get the profit is through the people".

Before Novak took over in 1997, Yum! was simply a PepsiCo restaurant division. The Division was spun off into a new company and Novak was put at the helm. To rally his organization together his first task was to install a 'unique' culture built on pride, recognition and performance.

Changing cultures is never easy nor is changing perceptions, but David and his company have done just that. He has successfully combined marketing with human relations to create a profitable growing organization. In fact, in 2005, the company opened 3 restaurants per day outside the USA.

The next time you reach for some finger-lickin' chicken or share the good times over a pizza, remember it's not chance but dedication to a great product, a great brand, great people and a organization that, against all odds, DID what most of Wall Street thought was an impossible task.