Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Sophie Bellon, is also appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo
The Board expresses its full support in Sophie Bellon, who has successfully led the transition phase of the last few months. The Board considers she is the best placed to lead the Group through this new phase in its history. Her in-depth knowledge of the activities of the Group, which she joined in 1994, was considered by the Board as a major asset.
The Board of Directors noted the very strong momentum around the priorities set by Sophie Bellon to strengthen Sodexo's competitiveness and accelerate its transformation.
Moreover, in recent months, the work and decisions concerning Sodexo's strategic direction have intensified. In particular, the Board of Directors has launched a project to develop and render more autonomous the Benefits & Rewards Services activity, which would lead to providing it with a dedicated governance, while remaining controlled by Sodexo.
These factors reinforce the Board's conviction of the necessity for perfect alignment between the definition and execution of the strategy, at a time when the acceleration of Sodexo's transformation requires, in particular, speed and agility in the company's decision-making processes. In this context, despite the quality of the candidates evaluated as part of this search process, the Board of Directors felt that recruiting an outside personality would definitively slow down the momentum.
Consequently, the Board of Directors unanimously decided to maintain the current governance structure and to end, as of March 1, 2022, the interim period. Sophie Bellon, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, will thus continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo.
The Board of Directors, which includes a majority of independent directors, has also decided to appoint Luc Messier, a Sodexo director since January 2020, as an independent Lead Director. His main mission will be to ensure the proper governance of the company.
"I would like to thank Sodexo’s Board of Directors for the support it has given me."
"I will continue to rely on the skills and diversity of the members of the Board, as well as the commitment and expertise of the Executive Committee and our teams to accelerate Sodexo's transformation and strengthen its competitiveness. The principles that will guide my actions will be loyalty to Sodexo's values, entrepreneurial spirit, as well as efficiency and speed of execution. More than ever, I am committed to reinvigorating Sodexo's growth path, which has been part of the Group's DNA since its creation. Together with my family, we reaffirm our long-term commitment to maintaining control of Sodexo and supporting its development."
"I am honored to have been invited to assume the role of Lead Independent Director and will exercise this role with determination."
"I am convinced, as are all the members of the Board, that this governance model is the best suited to this stage of the company's development. I will ensure that it functions properly in the interests of the company and of all its shareholders. The Board of Directors is fully convinced by Sophie Bellon's ability to lead Sodexo on the path to profitable and responsible growth, thanks to her extensive knowledge of the Group, its markets and its clients, her experience and the trust placed in her by the teams."
Biography of Sophie Bellon
Sophie Bellon has been Chairwoman of Sodexo’s Board of Directors since 2016 and has also acted as interim Chief Executive Officer since October 1, 2021.
Sophie joined Sodexo’s finance team in 1994. In that capacity, she contributed to the successful integration of Gardner Merchant in the United Kingdom and Marriott Management Services in the United States, two strategic acquisitions that consolidated Sodexo’s international scope and contributed to twice doubling the Group’s revenues. Following these acquisitions, Sophie became Head of Operational Management Control in 2001 to improve and streamline financial performance monitoring of the various subsidiaries. She was appointed Group Client Relations Director in 2005 and contributed to the significant increase in the client retention rate. In 2008, Sophie became Chief Executive Officer of the Corporate Services business unit for Sodexo France. In 2010, she also became Head of Facilities Management activities in France. In 2013, Sophie took overall responsibility for Sodexo’s Research, Development and Innovation strategy. That same year, she was appointed Vice Chairwoman of Sodexo’s Board of Directors, of which she has been a member since 1989.
A strong advocate for the service industry, Sophie is committed to ensuring that its social value and its impact at the local level are recognized. She is deeply attached to the human dimension of these professions, and has a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, in particular gender equality.
Sophie has been a member of the Board of Directors of L’Oréal since 2015, of the AFEP (the French Association of Private Enterprises) since 2017, and of Catalyst since 2022.
Prior to joining Sodexo, Sophie worked for eight years in the United States.
Biography of Luc Messier
Luc Messier began his career in engineering and project management at Pomerleau. He joined the Bouygues group in 1993 as an engineer, project manager in Hong-Kong and in South Africa and was later appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Bouygues subsidiary handling construction work in Hong Kong.
In 2003, he joined Technip as Chief Operating Officer and was then named President and Chief Executive Officer of Technip Offshore Inc. before being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Technip USA.
Between 2007 and 2015, he served as Senior Vice President for ConocoPhillips, where he was responsible for projects, aviation and procurement.
Since 2015, he has been President of Reus Technologies LLC, a technology development company that acts primarily as an angel investor in new technology, focused ventures.
Luc Messier holds dual nationality, Canadian and American. He has been a member of Sodexo's Board of Directors since January 21, 2020 and is a member of the Nominating Committee.
Luc Messier is also a member of the Board of Directors of Bird and of Greenfield Holdings.