Sodexo ranked number two for gender balance

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 ranking (the Palmarès de la féminisation des instances dirigeantes) is published by the French State Secretary for gender equality and the fight against discrimination, and concerns gender balance in the company’s top management.

Sophie Bellon, Chairwoman of Sodexo’s Board of Directors, (pictured) said, “As the largest French-based private employer in the world, we are honored by this recognition of our progress towards gender balance within our governing bodies. It highlights our strong commitment and the scale of our collective efforts deployed to consistently promote diversity and inclusion throughout Sodexo.

‘We believe that gender balance is essential for creativity and innovation, and ultimately drives our performance. With 460,000 employees working in 72 countries, we will continue to raise the bar to make gender balance a reality for every team at all levels of our company.”

Denis Machuel, CEO, Sodexo, said, “Gender diversity is essential. It is beyond a moral obligation, it’s a business imperative and differentiator. When women reach their full potential, business and society are stronger and more successful. At Sodexo, greater diversity and inclusiveness are part of a cultural transformation that requires time and humility.”

For Sodexo, it is vital at every level of an organization to support, serve and promote the cause of diversity. It is precisely for this reason that the Chairwoman and the CEO of Sodexo work together around the belief that “when we stand together, we all do better.”

Gender equality is a strategic imperative for Sodexo. With women making up 37% of Sodexo’s Executive Committee and 54% of its Board of Directors, a powerful internal gender balance study and strong gender networks throughout the global organization, the group’s commitment to gender equality is at the heart of its strategy and performance.

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 ensure that all senior executives—both men and women—understand the value placed in reaching this goal, 10 percent of their annual bonus is impacted by their progress toward meeting it.

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