GAITHERSBURG, Md., Feb. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sodexo, a global food services and facilities management leader, is proud to announce its recognition as a 2023 America’s Top Corporation for Women’s Business Enterprises by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council. The 2023 America's Top Corporations for WBEs award honors those corporations that have demonstrated a continuous and growing commitment to creating business opportunities for women-owned businesses within their supply chains. This is the third year Sodexo has won this prestigious award.
Sodexo is honored to be recognized as one of WBENC 2023 America’s Top Corporation for Women’s Business Enterprises, SVP and CPO Supply Management, Sodexo North America Dave Kourie said. We recognize the importance and commitment to the inclusion of women-owned businesses toward our diversity goals. We appreciate WBENC’s partnership and collaboration with us, as well as their support to certify these women entrepreneurs and business owners. We look forward to continuing to work together to fuel the growth of women-owned businesses in the coming years.
Currently, Sodexo partners with nearly 3,400 diverse and small businesses, including vendors that are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, women, service-disabled veterans, LGBTQ+ or people with disabilities-owned across the U.S. As part of Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Plan the organization has a global commitment to support both diverse and local businesses; the goal is for 25 percent of Sodexo's global spend to be with small businesses in local communities, with a focus on women and other under-represented groups as defined by country, by 2025. Companies interested in partnering with Sodexo must be 51 percent diverse-owned, controlled and managed and certified by National Minority Supplier Development Council , Women's Business Enterprises National Council, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Business Leadership Network, city or county certification, or state certification or Small Business Administration.
Kim Gorton, president and CEO of Slade Gorton & Co, Inc., a partner of Sodexo in sustainable seafood, expressed her company's support for Sodexo's commitment to diversity. Slade Gorton is proud to be Sodexo’s partner in sustainable seafood and applauds its longstanding commitment to supporting diversity across the supply chain. Long before DEI came to the forefront, Sodexo was working diligently behind the scenes as a pioneer in uplifting and highlighting its women-owned partners. We continue to work together with Sodexo to seek out the many incredible women-led businesses across our global network and remain grateful to be part of such a force for good.
The 2023 America's Top Corporations for WBEs award celebrates the companies that have successfully implemented diversity and inclusion programs, into their supplier diversity portfolios, that enable growth and innovation for women's business enterprises.
Sodexo is consistently recognized for the organization's commitment and work in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space, which is inclusive of supplier diversity. In January 2022, Sodexo received a score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, for the fifteenth consecutive year. In the summer of 2022, Sodexo was recognized as one of the 2022 Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Seramount and scored a 100 on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), earning the title of one of the “2022 Best Places to Work for People with Disabilities” for the eighth consecutive year. Additional accolades include being recognized as one of Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, LATINA Style Magazine’s Top 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work, and the NGLCC’s Best of the Best Corporation for Inclusion.
About Sodexo North America
Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 55 countries. Sodexo provides quality, multichannel and flexible food experiences, but also designs attractive and inclusive workplaces and shared spaces, manages and maintains infrastructure in a safe and environmentally friendly way, offers personalized support for patients or students and even creates programs fostering employee engagement. The company employs 90,066 people at thousands of sites in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs through its annual purchases of $20B in goods and services from small to large businesses. Sodexo North America is committed to focusing on tangible everyday gestures and actions through its integrated services to create a better every day for everyone and build a better life for all.
About WBENC
The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC partners with 14 Regional Partner Organizations to provide its world-class standard of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country. For more information, visit www.wbenc.org.
