11.05.2007 - 09:00am ET

(CSRwire) GAITHERSBURG, MD - November 5, 2007 - In a move to enhance its leadership in sustainability and corporate citizenship, Sodexho, Inc. today announced the appointment of Arlin Wasserman as the company's Vice President for Corporate Citizenship. Wasserman is a Kellogg Foundation Food and Society Policy Fellow and has served as the Policy Director for the Michigan Land Use Institute, among other distinctions.

Wasserman will work with Sodexho's North America senior management team and external constituencies to develop and implement strategies that promote Sodexho’s leadership in and priorities for corporate citizenship. He will drive associated initiatives in North America, focusing especially on food-related and environmental programs. He will also serve as the company-wide coordinator for positioning and outreach related to employee quality of life, workforce diversity, ethics, core values and sustainability programs, in conjunction with Sodexho's management team members.

"Together with our clients and customers, we're on a continuing and determined path to reduce the impact of waste on our earth and environment, provide nutritious food and support local economies, conduct our business ethically, take care of our employees respectfully and give them opportunities to grow, give back to the communities we serve and be a positive force for social change. We welcome Arlin's considerable experience and reputation in this space to help us expand our leadership in these areas," said Sodexho, Inc. President and CEO George Chavel.

Wasserman's impressive background includes leading the consultancy firm, Changing Tastes, where he provided insights and expertise to Fortune 100 and nonprofit organizations on issues related to community development, food and the environment. He has served as an advisor to many policymaking and leadership organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agencies. He was a member of the State of Michigan Cardiovascular Health and Active Living by Design task forces, as well as a member of the Michigan state Pollution Prevention Strategy and Implementation Committee.

Wasserman will report to Sodexho Senior Vice President for Strategic Marketing, Michael Montelongo, focusing on North America initiatives that contribute to Sodexho’s global corporate citizenship imperatives. "Sodexho's mission is to improve the quality of daily life; it's all about growing the company and making every day a better day for everyone we serve," said Montelongo. "As the premier outsourcing company for quality of life services in integrated food and facilities management, we're taking a great brand and making it even better by accelerating our corporate citizenship initiatives. Everyone in the Sodexho family is pleased that Arlin has joined us to help make that happen."

Sodexho has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World Index, and STOXX Sustainability Index for three consecutive years. This year, Dow Jones also recognized the company as a supersector worldwide leader on sustainability. The company's corporate citizenship priorities include fighting hunger and malnutrition, improving the quality of life of those served and protecting the environment. Sodexho’s food and environmental platform in North America focuses on sourcing and providing locally grown foods, improving nutrition, promoting local economies, energy conservation and carbon reduction, reducing the use of toxic chemicals, integrated waste management and minimizing packaging.

Sodexho, Inc. (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.3 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 125,000 employees, who operate in an ethical business environment where diversity and inclusion are central, and in workplaces designed to foster health and wellbeing. Sodexho serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexho, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a subsidiary of Sodexho Alliance (www.sodexho.com). Sodexho, Inc. funds the Sodexho Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.

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