Sodexo seeks to get more women into 300 top jobs: Executive team drives quest for greater gender equality

This paper aims to describe how international food and facilities‐management firm Sodexo is trying to increase the number of women in its top jobs, and why the company particularly welcomes job applications from former members of the military.

The paper explains the background to these policies and the successes they have achieved.

The paper highlights the company's ambition to ensure that a quarter of its 300 top jobs are filled by women by 2015. It details the work of the Sodexo Women's International Forum for Talent (Swift), which includes 20 of the company's senior female executives, representing 12 nationalities, who propose specific actions needed to help women to achieve top‐management jobs.

The paper explains that the company believes that a military background translates into successful jobs for veterans with Sodexo because they: recognize the importance of teamwork and employ it every day; are accustomed to advancement through their own achievements; and thrive on new assignments and the challenges of new locations.

The paper highlights the benefits of making best use of the talents of women and veterans.

The paper describes award‐winning initiatives designed to get more women into top jobs and to employ the talents of guardsmen and veterans.