QUALITY OF LIFE ASSURED
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DELIVERING QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICES SUSTAINABLY WRITTEN BY
DAN BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY
RYAN HALL
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SODEXO
HOW SODEXO AUSTRALIA IS DELIVERING QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICES WHILE MEETING SUSTAINABILITY GOALS THAT ENRICH LIVES AND REDUCE WASTE
S
odexo has been operating in Australia, delivering quality of life services for over three decades, employing 5,000 people
across 300 different sites nationally. Sodexo offer around 100 different integrated services covering 04
asset management, building maintenance, facilities management, catering and hospitality, accommodation management, transport security, concierge services, wellness programmes and more. The one thing they all have in common is that they are delivered to improve the quality of life of clients and consumers across a range of industry segments from the corporate sector, healthcare and seniors, education, government and justice, to energy and mining clients. Mark Chalmers is CFO and Country President for Sodexo in Australia. “I’m responsible for driving corporate governance and strategic responsibility for our operations across Australia,” he confirms. “In the process, I work with the country leadership team to ensure we’re correctly engaged
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06 and aligned to drive growth retention
the community where we all thrive,
and development, while constantly
and the environment within which
improving profitability and attracting,
we operate.” Intrinsically linked to this
developing, and retaining the right tal-
initiative is Sodexo Australia’s three-
ent to sustain that growth.”
pronged focus on hunger, gender
Sodexo’s corporate and social responsibility journey is being shaped
and waste. Introducing some of the initiatives
by its Better Tomorrow 2025 roadmap.
Sodexo is implementing in Australia
“It’s a global roadmap for Sodexo
to elevate its culture and improve the
which drives our corporate social
quality of life for its workers, Chalmers
responsibility initiatives,” explains
says: “We label one of our most impor-
Chalmers. “Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow
tant initiatives ‘I Hear You’. It was
2025 aligns with the UN’s sustainable
launched five years ago to increase
development goals and focuses on
awareness and understanding around
three levels of impact: the individual,
the mental health of our people and
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘BETTER TOMORROW 2025’ 07 trying to elevate approaches to men-
Sodexo’s commitment to Australia’s
tal health to match our approach to
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is
physical health and safety. We’re try-
having a positive impact on Indigenous
ing to provide a healthy workplace
engagement, enhancing supplier
environment where people will develop
diversity and supporting new ways of
and have a positive sense of them-
working together, believes Chalmers.
selves while feeling supported with
“We began down this road back in
any mental health issues.” He notes
2009,” he reveals. “Since then, we’ve
the feedback received is among the
achieved our second Elevate RAP —
most positive for any of the pro-
the highest status for organisations
grammes Sodexo runs. “People who
that have been acting and delivering
are raising issues are supporting
in this area. Among the benefits, in the
each other. It’s good to know we’re
past 10 years, we’ve employed nearly
not falling on deaf ears and people
1,100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait
are becoming involved.”
Islander people. Within that, our w w w.so dexo . com . a u
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
establishment of businesses or refin-
employees have earned more than
ing businesses process to be more
$34mn in wages that directly impacts
commercially competitive.”
the community. At the same time, it’s
Chalmers explains many of these
not just about employing Indigenous
Indigenous businesses have gone
people, it’s about empowerment —
on to become major suppliers of their
supporting and helping grow
products in the open market. “One
Indigenous businesses. In our last
example is Yaru Water,” he says.
financial year, we’ve spent more than
“It is a provider of bottled water from
$24mn with Indigenous owned busi-
fresh springs on Indigenous-owned
nesses. We operate on the basis
land, that supplies to us across our
that we’re not just treating this as
network. Now its product sits on the
a transactional relationship, we
supermarket shelf next to Coca-Cola
are mentoring and guiding the
and Pepsi.”
This year, Sodexo announced a
Clontarf Foundation CEO Gerard
national partnership with the Clontarf
Neesham. “We look forward to this
Foundation, which helps improve edu-
programme, with Sodexo’s support,
cation, self-esteem, and employment
continuing to grow and help more
prospects for young Aboriginal and
and more boys contribute meaningfully
Torres Strait Islander students. “We
to society.”
rely on the support and national part-
Helping Sodexo amplify its sus-
nership of organisations like Sodexo
tainability efforts, Australia’s leading
to grow and expand our national foot-
food reclaim company YUME is an
print; already the programme helps
agency set up to identify quality food
more than 8,000 boys in 128 schools
that would otherwise be headed to
across Western Australia, the Northern
landfill. This might be products that
Territory, South Australia, Victoria, New
were incorrectly labelled or that didn’t
South Wales and Queensland,” says
meet a required delivery time to a
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Mark Chalmers Chalmers is a proven CFO with extensive experience in large national and multinational organisations including GlaxoSmithKline. He has a track record of delivering results and driving organisational change initiatives. “I’ve gained 30-yearsexperience in the manufacturing, FMCG and pharmaceutical environments,” confirms Chalmers. Through functional dedication and commercial application, he leads the formation and integration of business at Sodexo Australia. A f lexible communicator, his facilitation skills support membership with contributions to senior management teams at local and international level.
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“ Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow 2025 aligns with the UN’s sustainable development goals and focuses on three levels of impact: the individual, the community where we all thrive, and the environment within which we operate” — Mark Chalmers, CFO & Country President, Sodexo Australia
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“We’ve received our second Elevate RAP… in the past 10 years, we’ve employed nearly 1,100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Within that, we’ve provided $34mn worth of employment. At the same time, it’s not just about employing Indigenous people, but it’s about empowerment — supporting and helping grow indigenous businesses” — Mark Chalmers, CFO & Country President, Sodexo Australia
tonnes of food going to waste every year,” says Yume Founder & CEO, Katy Barfield. “Yume partners with businesses to do things differently and say no to food waste through direct
supermarket chain and were rejected.
action. We are incredibly grateful to
“We work with YUME and identify
Sodexo for being an early adopter
these quantities of products and,
of our new technology across their
where possible, look to acquire from
network and for expanding on their
YUME rather than our other sources
sustainable procurement efforts.”
and use that product in our supply
Allied to its support for Yume, Sodexo
chain.” Last year, Sodexo purchased
is working with Foodbank Australia
87 tonnes of food from YUME, which
on events like their annual Servathon.
equates to around two and a half million
“We are incredibly grateful for the
litres of water that’s saved around 74
ongoing support Sodexo, and in
tons of CO2 emissions.
particular their employees, provide
“At Yume we are building a more
to Foodbank Australia. The funds
transparent and connected food
raised from the Servathon will enable
industry — one that stops 4.1 million
us to offer over 150,000 meals for a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
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“Yume partners with businesses to do things differently and say no to food waste through direct action. We are incredibly grateful to Sodexo for being an early adopter of our new technology across their network and for expanding on their sustainable procurement effort” — Katy Barfield, Founder & CEO YUME
COMPANY FACTS
Better Tomorrow 2025 Better Tomorrow 2025 consists of nine robust commitments designed to reinforce the culture of responsible behaviour throughout Sodexo’s business. Fully aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, each commitment is underpinned by a measurable objective allowing to constantly monitor progress. Due to the nature of Sodexo’s activities, Better Tomorrow 2025 particularly addresses the Group’s important role in tackling three issues: Hunger Sodexo aims to contribute its expertise to eradicating world hunger, both through its own operations and through the charitable work and employee activism it supports. The Group provides advice and support for people at risk of malnutrition, redistributes surplus food, and funds community gardens to encourage food autonomy. Sodexo also supports Stop Hunger Worldwide, a non-profit organization and global movement to address hunger founded
20 years ago by Sodexo employees. Gender As the world’s 19th largest employer, Sodexo has a large-scale impact on gender equality and is already leading the gender-balance debate: 50% of Sodexo’s board and more than 30% of the Group’s senior executives are women. Sodexo also created the Sodexo Women’s International Forum for Talent (SWIFt), now known as SoTogether, a global advisory board dedicated to achieving equality at all levels of the company. Waste Sodexo is committed to continuing to reduce waste in its operations and through the services it delivers: In 2011, the Group created “WasteWatch powered by LeanPath,” a global food waste prevention programme that helps identify causes of waste and define plans to reduce it. Sodexo also shares its expertise and collaborates with other businesses and NGOs to reduce food waste. In 2015, it co- founded the International Food Waste Coalition. w w w.so dexo . com . a u
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JANUARY 2020
distribution to our charity network,” confirms the organisation’s CEO Brianna Casey. “This will help ensure children can start the day with a healthy breakfast, pensioners can enjoy a cup of tea with a friend and families can share a nutritious meal.” Technology underpins such initiatives at Sodexo maintains Chalmers. “We’re introducing a data-driven WasteWatch programme enabling our sites to capture food waste data and identify opportunities that reduce waste and drive the change there as to how we use it. We’re looking to implement that over the next 12 months both in Australia and across the world with Artificial Intelligence (AI) preventing around 50% of our food waste.” Sodexo Australia is also leveraging w w w.so dexo . com . a u
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technology to enhance its operations
to offer maintenance instructions. This
through Augmented Reality (AR) and IoT.
not only reduces costs and safety haz-
“Installing sensors that are able to capture
ards, but aids collaboration, saving time
data centrally allows us to develop pre-
and a whole lot of wastage.”
dictive analytics to help us understand
Sodexo’s efforts with technology
when assets are going to fail; from there,
were applauded in October when the
we can work on scheduled maintenance
company received the Tech for Good
in a more structured way,” he explains.
award at the 6th annual eCAC40
“AR glasses then allow our staff on site
Ceremony organised by Les Echos.
to connect with an external specialist
The award recognises how Sodexo’s
expert who needn’t visit a remote site
digital transformation is driving
1982
Year founded
€22bn+
Consolidated revenue as of August 2019
5,000+ Number of employees
sustainable and responsible growth,
continue to improve our client offerings
especially when it comes to food
and grow our business in Australia by
waste. Earlier in 2019, the company
providing a broader range of quality
was also named Indigenous Employer
of life services while supporting corpo-
of the Year and is continuing to step
rate responsibilities and keeping our
up its efforts around inclusion & diver-
people safe.”
sity through its collaboration with e.motion 21 supporting young people with disabilities into the workforce. The goals for 2020 and beyond are clear, pledges Chalmers: “We’ll w w w.so dexo . com . a u
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Level 8 607 St Kilda Road Melbourne VIC 3004 T 1 800 SODEXO www.sodexo.com.au