EXCLUSIVE•INTERVIE W The 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Michel Landel
MAKING
Change
Role models are fundamental. We just created this SWIFt group, which means Senior Women’s
International Forum for Talent. We put
20 top women leaders of the organization
together and created that group from this
kind of think-tank. [It’s] an engine to change
things, make proposals to the executive
committee to move some processes and
really push a target from where we are
today in terms of women’s representation
to a target of 25 in the next several years.
By taking those initiatives and being very
determined in moving them and not giving
up, then we will be successful.
Doing
Business
Globally
We’re doing business in many countries
[where] we have to accept the differences
of the cultures.
On the other hand, in terms of engaging
those changes in diversity, there is no
compromise. We have to do it—and we will
do it. But we will do it at a different pace.
At the end of the day, if we want to be a
competitive company and a company that
really walks the walk, then we will have to
do it, and I’m convinced that will be pos-
sible. If you go to Syria [for
example], 65 percent of
the college graduates
are women. That will
make that country
change. They will
have to. But not
every country will
change at the same
pace, and so we’re not
compromising on values.
96 DiversityInc
Being
The Diversity Benchmark
We had some difficult times in the past. But we have changed, put
state-of-the-art procedures and processes in place and are recognized as a leader. There’s probably no contract or RFP that doesn’t
consider [the diversity] dimension—and that gives us an opportunity
to demonstrate that we are on the forefront. With many clients, we’re
actually providing advice … as we are a benchmark. But it takes a
lot of time to change culture and mindsets … to have a company
in which the culture is fundamentally on respecting differences and
putting teams of different backgrounds or origins together. But when
it’s built, I think the innovation, the creativity becomes very big. I’m
absolutely convinced that we are on the right track. Moving the culture
to a more inclusive culture is slowly something we’ve done. This is
fundamental for us—and we have to keep that.
Sodexo: Corporate Information
WHAT THE COMPANY DOES
Offers outsourcing
solutions in foodser-vice, housekeeping,
grounds keeping,
plant operations and
maintenance, asset
management and
laundry services
Sources: SodexoUSA.com; Sodexo Global Diversity & Inclusion Report, 2009
CLIENT BASE
Corporations,
healthcare facilities,
retirement centers,
schools, college
campuses, and
government and
remote sites
NUMBER OF
PEOPLE SERVED DAILY
60 million
NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES GLOBALLY
355,000
“Overall
we’re trying
to build a
culture where
we accept
differences,
where we
accept what
we don’t
know.”
