Rohini Anand, PhD
I have been in my role with Sodexo for 12 years and continually reflect on the progress we have made on our diversity and inclusion journey. While I know there are areas we need to continue to show ongoing progress, we have been able to go from an iconic diversity and inclusion brand to one that is sustainable. I truly believe that Sodexo’s commitment to creating an inclusive culture and fostering an environment where one can bring their whole self to work has had a significant impact on the lives of many employees, both in the Sodexo workplace and at client locations.
I am delighted to report that Sodexo has recently been ranked #2 on the 2014 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. We are extremely proud to be the only company to rank in the top two for five consecutive years. With over 1,000 companies participating this year and many showing continuing improvement, this is a tremendous accomplishment! Landing in the top two in any competition for five consecutive years, in addition to being #1 two of those years, is an achievement we are very proud of and know that with that comes tremendous responsibility to stay the course and sustain the progress.
DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti described Sodexo as the following:
“The only company to be in the top two five years in a row, Sodexo has deep commitment from President and CEO George Chavel. Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Rohini Anand helps Sodexo constantly challenge itself to do better. For example, Global CEO Michel Landel has pledged that the top 300 employees will be 25 percent women by 2015.”
Our internal culture change initiatives, metrics, accountability and distributed leadership model are all important. I am most proud of the impact our nine Employee Business Resource Groups have in the local communities we serve through volunteer service, STOP hunger efforts and health and wellness initiatives. Being recognized for our sustainable efforts, especially when competing business priorities and “diversity fatigue,” can so easily derail our progress, is a significant honor for our organization. This ranking represents a community of commitment that is reflective of the contributions that leadership and employees make to ensure our diversity and inclusion efforts are successful. This honor belongs to the 130,000 employees in Sodexo North America and to the 430,000 employees in Sodexo worldwide for the heavy lifting they do every day to bring our commitment to life.
Additionally, we were also prominently ranked on DiversityInc’s Specialty Lists:
- No. 2 Top 10 Companies for Mentoring
- No. 2 Top Companies for Diversity Councils
- No. 3 Top 10 Companies for Global Diversity
- No. 7 Top 10 Companies for Recruitment
Many of the top 50 companies sharing in this DiversityInc recognition are clients of Sodexo and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge their success as well. And I want to especially thank our employees, business partners and members of the communities in which we serve! With your support we have not only created an iconic brand in the space of diversity and inclusion, but a sustainable one as well.
Please visit us at: SodexoUSA, Facebook, Twitter @SodexoDiversity, and/or LinkedIn to hear more about our diversity and inclusion journey.