Sodexo ranked #2 for gender balance within its governing bodies among 2019 French publicly listed companies

Paris, July 2^nd, 2020 – Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, ranked #2 for gender balance within its governing bodies among all publicly-listed companies on the SBF 120 French stock market index. The 2019 ranking (the Palmarès 2019 de la féminisation des instances dirigeantes) is published by the French State Secretary for gender equality and the fight against discrimination, and concerns gender equality in the company’s governing senior management.

Cathy Desquesses, Chief People Officer of Sodexo, said: “As the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social and economic crisis threaten the advancement made towards gender equality at many levels, this recognition of our on going focus on gender balance within our governing bodies has a particular significance for Sodexo. More than ever, we must be exemplary and stand for inclusion in the workplace, supporting the social and economic progress of the communities in which we operate. We remain fully committed and maintain our comprehensive initiatives and collective efforts towards gender-balance at all levels of our company.”

With women making up 35% of Sodexo’s Executive Committee (as of August 31, 2019) and 60% of its Board of Directors (as of August 31, 2019), a powerful internal gender balance study and 23 strong gender networks throughout the global organization, the group’s commitment to gender equality is a moral obligation and a strategic imperative.

In 2018, Sodexo surveyed 50,000 of its managers from over 70 entities as part of its Gender Balance Study, which revealed that teams with a male-female ratio of between 40 and 60 percent out-performed on financial and non-financial indicators. Sodexo’s goal is that by 2025 women will represent at least 40 percent of its senior leadership staff.

To reach this goal, Sodexo has established a global strategy for gender equality and ensure equal opportunities for the advancement of women. This strategy drives concrete initiatives, including inclusive workplace training, mentoring, and gender networks throughout the Group. The cornerstone of this approach is the SoTogether advisory board, which is dedicated to promoting women's professional advancement, and more broadly on the global scale.

To find out more about Diversity & Inclusion at Sodexo, please click on: Sodexo.com/gender-balance

About Sodexo

Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 67 countries, Sodexo serves 100 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over more than 50 years of experience: from foodservices, reception, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from services and programs fostering employees’ engagement to solutions that simplify and optimize their mobility and expenses management, to in-home assistance, child care centers and concierge services. Sodexo’s success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business model and its ability to continuously develop and engage its 470,000 employees throughout the world. Sodexo is included in the CAC Next 20, ESG 80, FTSE 4 Good and DJSI indices.

Key figures (as of August 31, 2019)

22 billion euro in consolidated revenues
470,000 employees
19th largest employer worldwide
67 countries
100 million consumers served daily
8.6 billion euro market capitalization (as of June 24, 2020)

Contacts

Media
Dalila Elluin Tel: [phone] [e-mail]

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