Originally Published by Sodexo.
Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company committed to improving Quality of Life, announced its partnership with the Paradigm for Parity Movement to advocate for equal employment opportunities for all genders specific to leadership positions.
“We are happy to be a part of the Paradigm for Parity movement, a coalition of men and women business leaders dedicated to addressing the corporate leadership gender gap,” said Rohini Anand, PhD, SVP, Corporate Responsibility & Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo. “I’m proud to say that Sodexo’s ongoing efforts in this area have helped us to surpass our goal of having 40 percent women representing our executive committee by 2025. Currently, 42 percent of our executive committee are female.”
Sodexo has committed to:
- Eliminating or minimizing unconscious bias in the workplace;
- Significantly increasing the number of women in senior operating roles;
- Measuring targets and maintaining accountability by providing regular progress reports;
- Basing career progress on business results and performance, rather than physical presence in the office; and
- Providing sponsors, not just mentors, to women well positioned for long term success.
“We are proud to welcome Sodexo to join the more than 80 companies that have signed on to bring gender parity to the c-suite,” said Jewelle Bickford, Co-Chair of the Paradigm for Parity coalition. “By implementing the 5-Point Action plan, Sodexo is creating a new paradigm in the workplace where women and men have equal opportunity to succeed.”
Sodexo’s focus on supporting and advancing women is reflected in their programs and initiatives including the Sodexo Women’s International Forum for Talent (SWIFt), a committee of senior men and women executives with the purpose of advocating for gender balance, professional development and career growth for women within Sodexo.
Sodexo’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has been consistently recognized by external organizations and notable diversity publications. Sodexo was named to Bloomberg’s 2018 Gender-Equality Index (GEI) its first sector-neutral list of 104 global companies, and recognized on three of FORTUNE Magazine lists in 2017, including World’s Most Admired Companies, Change the World and the FORTUNE 500.
