WOMEN’S FOODSERVICE FORUM (WFF) RECOGNIZES
SODEXO
FOR SUPPORTING AND ADVANCING WOMEN LEADERS
Sodexo Awarded Prestigious Jackie B. Trujillo SOAR
Award
At the WFF Annual Leadership Luncheon at the NRA Show
in Chicago
The Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) is pleased to announce that Sodexo is the winner
of the 3
rd annual Jackie B. Trujillo SOAR Award. Sponsored by Yum! Brands,
the SOAR award celebrates companies that are the Standard-setters for Opportunity,
Advancement and Recognition of women leaders in their organization.
The SOAR Award honors companies with demonstrable corporate initiatives that result
in a strong track record of attracting, developing, retaining and promoting women to the highest
levels of the organization.
Michael Norris, Chief Operating Officer and Market President – Corporate Services, Sodexo, Inc.; Mary Bentley, President, Women’s Foodservice Forum; Linda Pharr, 2008-2009 WFF Chair and Chief Foodservice Relations Officer, Batrus Hollweg International
Michael Norris, Chief Operating Officer and Market President – Corporate Services, Sodexo, Inc.; Mary Bentley, President, Women’s Foodservice Forum; Linda Pharr, 2008-2009 WFF Chair and Chief Foodservice Relations Officer, Batrus Hollweg International
Sodexo’s key achievements in the area of gender diversity include:
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In 2008, Sodexo ranked 12 th on DiversityInc’s Top 50 list
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Sixty-two percent of women in management received promotions last year, and they had over 90% retention the past two years of middle managers and above
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More than half (57%) of Sodexo’s U.S. based full-time employees are female, while 18% of its C-level positions are filled by women
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Sodexo ties 25% of executive and 10% to 15% of managerial bonuses to a Diversity Scorecard Index, which are paid out regardless of the company’s financial performance
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One of Sodexo’s six Employee Network Groups and its largest, the Women’s Network Group, hosts 650 members, nine regional chapters and eight local chapters, with a mission to “ foster a culture where enhancing a women’s individual and professional growth contributes to the global success of our company and the communities we serve”
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Sodexo’s most formal mentoring program, Spirit of Mentoring – IMPACT, is cross-divisional and cross-functional where approximately 50% of participants are women; more than half of Sodexo’s executive team serve as mentors in the program
Named after a founding member of the WFF and a true pioneer in the Foodservice
industry, Jackie B. Trujillo rose from a car-hop to the Chairman of the Board of the largest KFC
franchise in history. She not only spurred women leaders forward in her organization, but opened
doors for more women to be elevated in the Foodservice industry. The SOAR award is the highest
honor an organization can receive from the WFF. It recognizes and measures the efforts
that companies are making to elevate more women leaders in Foodservice. Doing so will ensure
that the industry as a whole continues to thrive, because as research has demonstrated, gender
diverse work teams produce better financial results.
Lorna Donatone, WFF Treasurer and President of the School Services Division for
Sodexo, Inc.; Michael Norris, Chief Operating Officer and Market President – Corporate Services,
Sodexo, Inc.; Mary Bentley, President, Women’s Foodservice Forum; Susan P. Gambardella, The
Coca-Cola Company; Linda Pharr, 2008-2009 WFF Chair and Chief Foodservice Relations Officer, Batrus
Hollweg International; Terrian Barnes, Yum! Brands