Sodexho Named Among 15 Best Companies for Workforce Diversity by Black Enterprise Magazine

GAITHERSBURG, Md, July 26, 2007 - Sodexho, the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in North America, has been recognized as one of the “15 Best Companies for Workforce Diversity” by Black Enterprise® magazine, one of the nation's leading business publications. 

For this special report, Black Enterprise evaluated more than 1,000 of the nation's top companies and more than 50 leading global companies with significant U.S. operations.  The companies that made the list outperformed other corporations in their peer group in four key categories: Supplier Diversity, Senior Management, Board of Directors and Employee Base. 

“We are honored Black Enterprise has recognized us for our commitment to workforce diversity,” said Dr. Rohini Anand, senior vice president and chief diversity officer for Sodexho.  “Sodexho understands that a tapestry of diverse backgrounds, styles, and beliefs adds value to our workforce and we work hard to ensure that inclusiveness.”

“Being a company where the best people want to work has long been an integral part of Sodexho's mission,” said Peri Bridger, Sodexho senior vice president and chief human resources officer.  “Sodexho employs 120,000 unique individuals across the United States who make the company thrive and help secure our successful future.”

Sodexho has been recognized over the years for its diversity by many of the national leading publications. Recent honors include, Black Collegian magazine as a Top 100 Employer, and was named one of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Working Mother Media®.

The Sodexho employee network groups are a key component of Sodexho's commitment to diversity. The network groups are organized around a common dimension of diversity and are created by employees who want to raise awareness in Sodexho within one of the defined identity groups. The network groups include: African-American Leadership Forum (AALF); Pan Asian Network Group (PANG); People Respecting Individuality, Diversity, and Equality (PRIDE); Sodexho Organization of Latinos (SOL); Women's Network Group (WiNG).

About Sodexho
Sodexho, Inc. is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $6.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 125,000 employees. Sodexho serves more than 10 million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexho, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a subsidiary of Sodexho Alliance (www.sodexho.com). Sodexho, Inc. funds the Sodexho Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.