A Pride story: Finding my place and my people
Jerry Brownlee, Senior Area General Manager, Sodexo US, shares his personal story and career at Sodexo.
Our people stories
We care for our people just as much as they care for what they do.
Our 430,000 employees – from catering assistants to managers – show us every day that they are committed to leave their mark on the world. Whether pushing for progress by seeking new ideas to enhance our services, strengthening their bonds with customers and clients, thriving in our teams no matter who they are or their personal background, or giving each other a hand in the kitchen or the office, they embody our values and are the backbone of our growth. We are proud to share their stories.
Starting from scratch with the support of my team
As a refugee from a different country, everything here is different ౼ the social structure, my expectations, everything. But you can’t learn about integrating into a new culture from a textbook. My broader education was on the job, learning at Sodexo.
A safe space
I want to champion employee welfare, foster an inclusive environment and ultimately create a safe space for my employees.
Lead the change
I’m Kath Tisdale. My pronouns are they, them, their.” I will always remember saying those exact words on a call with fellow Sodexo employees and being overwhelmed with emotion.
Convergence of Healthcare and Technology Improves Patient Wellbeing
While I was in college, I interned at a hospital. I was excited by the buzz and controlled chaos, and by the problem-solving, resilience and grit of the healthcare professionals who worked there.
Love of food runs in the family
This early appreciation for classic hearty food led me into a cooking career that has seen me train with Gary Rhodes and work in some of the UK’s top restaurants. I moved into contract catering with Sodexo five years ago.
Listener, Teacher and Coach
I adore cooking. It’s a passion of mine. Since I was 14 years old, I wanted to pursue a career in the culinary arts. In those days, women weren’t commonly chefs, so I oriented myself toward nutritional studies and teaching, another passion of mine.
A common thread
I’ve gone down so many different paths throughout my professional journey ౼ from working in the criminal justice system to liaising with c-suite executives. And while my roles and responsibilities have varied wildly throughout, each position I’ve held has shared the same ultimate goal: forming connections with people to work more effectively.
This job was (literally) made for me
I often say that I didn’t find compliance, compliance found me. Ten years later, here I am, a compliance officer at Sodexo.