SODEXHO USA NAMED A WINNER OF INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION IN DIVERSITY AWARD

GAITHERSBURG, MD, June 14, 2005 -- Sodexho USA (NYSE:SDX), the nation's leading provider of food and facilities management services, announced it has been named a top ten winner of Profiles in Diversity Journal's International Innovation in Diversity Awards. The annual International Innovation in Diversity Awards honors individuals and teams working in organizations and institutions anywhere in the world that have developed innovative solutions offering measurable outcomes in the area of workforce diversity and inclusion.

“Sodexho has taken a comprehensive approach to implementing initiatives in the area of employee training and development and we are pleased to receive this award in recognition of those efforts,” said Rohini Anand, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief diversity officer for Sodexho. “This speaks to the high value that our company places on being a 'learning organization' that promotes both diversity and inclusion.”

Sodexho received the award for its accredited Action Learning Program, an initiative that provides Sodexho employees at all levels of the organization with the opportunity to earn a college degree while at work. To accomplish that objective, the program combines on-the-job projects and independent study to provide a solid basis for business results and formal education. This initiative has demonstrated proven results in the Providence, Rhode Island School District, where several of Sodexho's front line employees have earned college degrees.

According to Profiles in Diversity Journal, Sodexho's accredited Action Learning Program has demonstrated the company's firm commitment to successful diversity management, promoting inclusiveness and continually improving equity in the workplace. Upon completion, graduates earn accredited degrees from Sodexho University in conjunction with the International Management Centres Association based in London, England.

Sodexho USA continues to receive wide recognition for creating a corporate culture that values diversity among its employees, clients, vendors and suppliers. Sodexho was recently named to DiversityInc's lists of Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity for 2005 and Top 10 Companies for People with Disabilities. Sodexho has been named one of Asian Enterprise Magazine's Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans in 2005 and one of HISPANIC Magazine's 2005 Corporate 100 companies that provide significant career opportunities for Hispanics. Sodexho also ranked among the Top 100 Employers for the Class of 2005 by Black Collegian Magazine.

Sodexho USA (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States, with $6 billion in annual revenue and 110,000+ employees. Sodexho USA offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho USA proudly serves as the official food service provider for the US Marine Corps.