Sodexo Honored for Supporting and Advancing Women Leaders

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 27, 2008 - Sodexo, a world leader in foodservice and facilities management, was recognized for its leadership role in leveraging the strength of its diversity by advancing women in the workplace. Sodexo was honored by Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) as the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Jackie B. Trujillo SOAR Award, which recognizes and measures the efforts that companies make to elevate women leaders in the foodservice industry. The SOAR Award is the highest honor an organization can receive from the WFF and was presented last week during the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

"Sodexo has demonstrated exceptional success in providing opportunities for the advancement of women leaders," said Mary Bentley, WFF president. "We congratulate Sodexo for supporting the industry-wide mission of elevating women leaders and creating a culture in which female employees are supported and encouraged to seek and achieve their highest potential."
Sodexo's success in leveraging the strength of its diverse workforce is clearly demonstrated throughout the organization. The WFF recognized many of Sodexo's key achievements in the area of diversity including:

• Ranked 12th on DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• 57% of U.S. based full-time employees are female; 18% of “C” level positions are women
• Ranked third on DiversityInc's Top 10 Companies for Recruitment and Retention
• Sodexo ties 25% of executive and 10-15% of managerial bonuses to a Diversity Scorecard Index. As well as stating that diversity bonuses are paid out regardless of company financial performance based on long term gains associated with “staying the course.”
• The Women's Network Group “WiNG” (one of the Sodexo's six Employee Network Groups) hosts 650 members, 9 regional chapters and 8 local chapters. Chapters provide their members with professional development/relationship opportunities annually. 
• Sodexo's Spirit of Mentoring program - IMPACT - is cross-divisional and cross-functional in nature and has grown to more than 100 partnerships per year. Approximately 50% of the participants are women, and 70% of the partners are in a cross-cultural relationship. More than half of Sodexo's executive team serves as mentors in the program.

The Jackie B. Trujillo SOAR Award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding organization that is a proven Standard-Setter for Opportunity, Advancement and Recognition for women within their organization.  The company must be in the foodservice industry (foodservice/hospitality operator, supplier/manufacturer, or distributor) with 250 or more U.S. based employees. Nominees are evaluated on quantitative and qualitative factors including the successful implementation of programs and initiatives that are directed to giving women full and equal opportunity for advancement. Additional factors include the degree to which senior leadership is aligned behind them and the verifiable results.

About Sodexo, Inc.
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com) is a leading integrated food and facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.3 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo, Inc. serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexo Group, and funds the Sodexo Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.