Sodexho Global Chef Program Offers Tastes From 'Down Under' to College Students

GAITHERSBURG, Md., February 15, 2007- Sodexho (NYSE:SDX), the leading dining services provider to more than 900 college campuses in the United States, will kick off another Global Chef exchange with the arrival of Sodexho Australia Executive Chef, John Deane. Beginning in February, Chef Deane launches a tour that will bring his culinary talent and expertise to New England colleges an d universities including Dean College, Babson College, Wellesley College, New England College, Plymouth State College, the University of Vermont, St. Michael's College and Champlain College.

“Sodexho's Global Chef Program provides a unique educational experience for students to explore new foods, cultures and traditions,” said Warren Jaferian, vice president Sodexho Worldwide Education Market. “ Sodexho is very pleased to welcome Chef Deane's extensive knowledge of Australian and European catering operations and event management to the Global Chef Program.”

Chef Deane began his tour in the U.S. on February 5 at Dean College in Franklin, Mass. While on campus, Chef Deane will work closely with the onsite Sodexho team to prepare menus that feature a range of authentic Australian specialties from traditional desserts like steamed lemon pudding to the more adventurous dishes like octopus and barramundi.

Chef John Deane has been the Sodexho Executive Chef at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, Australia since 2002. His 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry have taken him from formal training in his native Ireland to the Dorchester Hotel in London, England, the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Munich, Germany, and onto Australia, where he has built an impressive list of accomplishments since 1994. In Chef Deane's tenure with a variety of management companies, he has overseen several prestigious venues, which include the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Town Hall, Fox Studio Australia and the iconic Sydney Opera House. In 2000, Chef Deane was the Executive Chef for the Athletes Village, during the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games, and in 2003 for the Rugby World Cup Tournament.

Sodexho's Global Chef Program is a month-long international chef residency that provides an opportunity for Sodexho's top chefs to travel to different countries and share authentic international cuisine with local teams, college students, faculty and staff. For more information about Sodexho's Global Chef Exchange including chef bios and recipes, please visit www.GlobalChefProgram.com.

Sodexho, Inc. (www.SodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $6.7 billion in annual revenue and 125,000+ employees. Sodexho offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, groundskeeping, 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, government and remote sites throughout North America.  Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., Sodexho proudly serves as the official food service provider for the U.S. Marine Corps.