The Loop: Together We Grow, New Venue Partner, Welcoming New Team Members, and More!

The Loop banner featuring Belinda Oakley, CEO, Sodexo Live! North America

Hello Team,

A few weeks ago, Nathalie Bellon-Szabo invited leaders from across the globe to Paris for the inaugural Sodexo Live! senior leaders conference. The theme of the three-day event was Together We Grow… particularly fitting spirit for content that centered on celebrating the tremendous growth our global business enjoyed in FY23, as well as sharing best practices and growth levers from our varying markets and portfolio businesses.

Twenty years ago, the Sodexo sports and leisure segment represented $160 million of revenue, primarily in Paris and to a lesser extent, in the UK and the US.

Today, Sodexo Live! is almost $2 billion, is a significant contributor to the overall performance of Sodexo, and while food and beverage continues to be our core business, we also boast:

3 Michelin-starred restaurants (Le Pré Catelan, Le Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower, and the Don Juan II on the Seine), all entrusted to the remarkable Chef Frédéric Anton
Lenôtre, the high-end catering, retail store and 50-year-old culinary arts school, found both in France and through a franchise model internationally
STH, the global provider of travel, hospitality and ticketing programs

Not only did the event feature inspiring presentations from Nathalie, the regional CEOs, and functional experts, but we also had the opportunity to hear from clients around the globe and across different lines of business in an insights panel, aimed to better understand what matters most to our partners. We collaborated with our counterparts in workshops on sustainability, enhancing our hospitality training programs, positioning ourselves for sales success and the remarkable world of AI.

Finally, our team had the opportunity to both visit the Olympic Village where our French team and some of our US chefs will be cooking for the athletes this summer, as well as tour some of the iconic Sodexo Live! venues in Paris.

Perhaps the most memorable moment for me personally was the inaugural Experience Makers Awards, which celebrated teams and team members from our global family who have excelled in their commitments to Belong, Act, Thrive, and Be Live!

Want to know who won from our team?

Then join us today for our Quarterly Town Hall from 12:30-2pm EST, where we will be recreating the award ceremony and celebrating our North American winners!

Belinda

New Partner Alert! Boston’s New England Aquarium

Along with our new partner, the New England Aquarium, we’ll usher in new and improved dining options for guests, the addition of new local suppliers from Boston and greater New England, and ambitious plans for improved dining spaces. Cuisine will be elevated in a fresh, exciting way that features sustainably sourced ingredients. And, new technology solutions for ordering have modernized and streamlined speed of service. Read more in the press release.

Annual MLK Day Breakfast at Miami Beach Convention Center

On January 15, the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence annual MLK Day scholarship breakfast took place at Miami Beach Convention Center with more than 3,000 in attendance. Future leaders were awarded scholarships that will help support their path ahead. Learn more.

Sophie Bellon Visits Atlanta’s DELTA Lounges

During a recent visit to Sodexo’s U.S. teams, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Sodexo CEO Sophie Bellon was able to connect with our Sodexo Live! teams at Atlanta Airport’s DELTA lounges. Spending quality time together, she saw firsthand the hospitality and dedication our Experience Makers bring to the table, making time spent in the lounge so enjoyable.

Day of Service in Orlando for MLK Day

In support of U.S. Hunger’s mission to feed families in need, our Orange County Convention Center team supported MLK’s Day of Service by to helping package more than 1,000,000 meals for the local community!

Sodexo HR Team Visits Sodexo Live! Team at NGA

Earlier this month, our National Gallery of Art team hosted the Sodexo North America Human Resources leadership team, led by Annick de Vanssay, Global CHRO. The group visited The Gallery, had lunch and got a tour of the Sodexo Live! operations, with a few other fun stops along the way.

Welcome Our New Team Members in Las Vegas!

Please welcome to the Las Vegas Convention Center and Expo World Market Center teams: Jay Lattimer – VP of Operations, Dylan Matuschka – Executive Chef, Sujoy Brahma – Executive Director of Operations, and Vanessa Tewilliager – Director of Catering Sales!

Welcome, Carolyn Reynolds!

Carolyn Reynolds joins Rich Mitzner’s team as Director of Strategic Accounts, West Region, working with Christopher Burr, Director of Strategic Accounts, East Region, who joined us last year. She previously spent a decade with Sodexo working across Healthcare and Universities, and has also worked at PPM, Compass Group and Starbucks. She is based in Portland, OR.

Welcome, Erica Cheesman!

Erica Cheeseman joins the Airport Lounges team as Finance Director. She will transition from the Sodexo Financial Shared Services Center to support the Airport Dimensions/Chase teams. She’s worked with Sodexo since 2017 and has vast knowledge of our back-of-house and accounting systems, and she’s a previous co-winner of Sodexo’s Stars of Finance!

Welcome, Jaclyn Fromberg!

Please welcome Jaclyn (Jackie) Fromberg to Sodexo Live!’s Airport Lounges team as Director, Human Resources Business Partner supporting the American Airlines portfolio. Jackie has more than 15 years of diverse experience and has most recently worked at JLL as a Human Resources Advisor for global client Amazon. She’s also held various HR positions at Rabobank, HSBC Bank, and Citibank.

Welcome, Peyton Salomon!

Peyton joins the Sodexo Live! team as Field Marketing Specialist for British Airways Lounges, American Express Centurion Lounges, and Virgin Atlantic. Based in Nashville, her career started in campus dining where she created meaningful experiences centered around food for students. This led to similar roles at larger universities such as Austin Peay State University, Lipscomb University, Fisk University, and most recently, Belmont University.

Sodexo Live! Email Retention Update: February 16

Sodexo’s email retention policy will be applied to Sodexo Live! mailboxes in early 2024. You must move your emails to your archive folders before February 16th, or they will be deleted and unrecoverable once they meet the retention deadline. Emails in [Inbox], [Sent Items], [Deleted Items] and folders underneath are only retained for six months (180 days). Emails moved to the [Archive] folder will be kept per retention policy (three years unless otherwise designated).

Attend at least one upcoming training session to learn how to create, rename, move, and delete folders in your mailbox to meet the archive policy. Please direct questions to, and look out for the training calendar invites from, NorAmOffice365@sodexo.com. Find details here.

Announcements and Reminders

Grow and Develop in Your Career – Have Career Conversations by Feb. 1

Attend the PANG Hour Lunar New Year Celebration on Feb. 9 from 2-3pm EST

Join Non-Profit Coqual on Feb. 6 at Noon EST For An Educational Black History Month Webinar

Sharing Good News

NYC Gets Two New Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club

The newest Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club opened at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, with a second opened soon after at JFK Airport. The two-story lounge at LaGuardia offers elevated meal and bar service, created through partnerships with celebrated restaurants, chefs and mixologists. The breakfast and small plates menu is rounded out by chef-driven dishes from our Sodexo Live! team.

Combining Our Michigan Resources To Bring Added Value to Huntington Place Catering

As hospitality partners to both Michigan Stadium and Huntington Place, together we help to better serve guests at each venue through our buying power, staffing resources, range of event expertise, sustainability and more, as detailed in a recent Q&A with VP Brand and Communications, Paul Pettas.

Ohio State Students Get Opportunity to Shadow Team at Lucas Oil Stadium

In our continued partnership with Ohio State’s Hospitality Management school, Michael Barrett and our local Indiana team helped coordinate ten students to shadow our team during a recent Colts home game at Lucas Oil Stadium. They got to experience a true behind-the-scenes look at the industry from our experts as we help invest in the future leaders of hospitality.

Raising Money for HBCUs at Rum Room

Running January 15 (MLK Day) through June 19 (Juneteenth), Rum Room at the Miami Beach Convention Center will promote the Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned cocktail and for each one sold, Uncle Nearest’s founder will donate $1 to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Learn more.

Compliments to the Chef: MSI Chicago

A successful event includes having a great culinary team, and at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, our Executive Chef Justin Frankenberg shines with creative menu items that are as visually exciting as they are delicious. Read more in Chicago Style Weddings.

Questions and Support