PARIS, France – At its meeting of February 15, 2022, the Board of Directors of Sodexo has decided to appoint its Chairwoman, Sophie Bellon, as Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo, a position she has held on an interim basis since October 1, 2021. The Board expresses its full support in Sophie Bellon, who has successfully led the transition phase of the last few months.
The Board considers she is the best placed to lead the Group through this new phase in its history. Her in-depth knowledge of the activities of the Group, which she joined in 1994, was considered by the Board as a major asset.
The Board of Directors noted the very strong momentum around the priorities set by Sophie Bellon to strengthen Sodexo’s competitiveness and accelerate its transformation.
Moreover, in recent months, the work and decisions concerning Sodexo’s strategic direction have intensified. In particular, the Board of Directors has launched a project to develop and render more autonomous the Benefits & Rewards Services activity, which would lead to providing it with a dedicated governance, while remaining controlled by Sodexo.
These factors reinforce the Board’s conviction of the necessity for perfect alignment between the definition and execution of the strategy, at a time when the acceleration of Sodexo’s transformation requires, in particular, speed and agility in the company’s decision-making processes. In this context, despite the quality of the candidates evaluated as part of this search process, the Board of Directors felt that recruiting an outside personality would definitively slow down the momentum.
Consequently, the Board of Directors unanimously decided to maintain the current governance structure and to end, as of March 1, 2022, the interim period. Sophie Bellon, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, will thus continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo.
The Board of Directors, which includes a majority of independent directors, has also decided to appoint Luc Messier, a Sodexo director since January 2020, as an independent Lead Director. His main mission will be to ensure the proper governance of the company.
Sophie Bellon, Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo, said:
“I would like to thank Sodexo’s Board of Directors for the support it has given me. I will continue to rely on the skills and diversity of the members of the Board, as well as the commitment and expertise of the Executive Committee and our teams to accelerate Sodexo’s transformation and strengthen its competitiveness. The principles that will guide my actions will be loyalty to Sodexo’s values, entrepreneurial spirit, as well as efficiency and speed of execution. More than ever, I am committed to reinvigorating Sodexo’s growth path, which has been part of the Group’s DNA since its creation. Together with my family, we reaffirm our long-term commitment to maintaining control of Sodexo and supporting its development”
Luc Messier, Lead Director, said:
” I am honored to have been invited to assume the role of Lead Independent Director and will exercise this role with determination. I am convinced, as are all the members of the Board, that this governance model is the best suited to this stage of the company’s development. I will ensure that it functions properly in the interests of the company and of all its shareholders. The Board of Directors is fully convinced by Sophie Bellon’s ability to lead Sodexo on the path to profitable and responsible growth, thanks to her extensive knowledge of the Group, its markets and its clients, her experience and the trust placed in her by the teams.“
