CEO Newsletter
Carousel, CEO Newsletter
Dear Team,
I sincerely hope that everyone has had a wonderful summer. As August comes to a close, so does our fiscal year, which means that it’s time to ensure a successful closing of our books (and get those outstanding client receivables collected before August 31st). This is our largest transition milestone to-date, and I want to thank all of the people who have been working on the transition since January to bring together the Sodexo S&L and Centerplate teams.
Moving forward, September 1 kicks off the new fiscal year, and you should all be receiving your updated budgets for 2018-19. For much of the summer, the Integration Work Teams have been planning for the year ahead. As some of our processes start to take shape, I value your patience, experience, and input in delivering a best-in-class experience with a new array of resources.
We are also proud to join a new initiative from Sodexo’s Department of Corporate Social Responsibility that will be announced next month: reducing the amount of plastic we put into the environment.
Look out for a memo from Paul Daly next month on new products and timeline.
Thanks for all you do to make us successful.
Chris
CEO Sports & Leisure – North America, President & CEO of Centerplate
NEW WINS
> Keystone Sports Centre (Brandon, Manitoba)
CONTRACT RENEWALS
> Vancouver Convention Centre
> Virginia Aquarium
Spotlight on Space Center Houston
Each month we will present an iconic Centerplate or Sodexo site so you can discover more about the great work done by our teams.
Sodexo has been the exclusive caterer at the Space Center Houston since it opened in 1992 and with a recent contract extension until 2025. Our teams run the Food & Beverage services for the conference center, retail dining and vending.
What has differentiated Sodexo from the competition? “Our client values not only the service we provide but our company culture, especially our commitment to diversity. They were impressed with the diversity program we have at Sodexo and asked for our support. We partnered with them to establish their own diversity program at Space Center Houston launched in 2017.”
Over 25 years at the Space Center, what has been key in the success of this partnership? “All comes down to the strong partnership we have built, from our team’s hard work in creating the best guest experience to our dedication to improving revenue for the site. For instance, our strong collaboration in building a new 5,000 sq ft events building in 2017 has already improved Catering Revenue by 50%. And with attendance down following Hurricane Harvey, we have been continually a driver of ideas to improve the event space to drive growth.”
What is the team’s favorite event? “One exciting event we held last October was the opening of the Apollo 11 Mission Exhibit. Our team came together to put on an unforgettable evening celebration going above and beyond the expectations of our client for this prestigious event. With a “Destination Moon” theme, the team created everything from the extraordinary menu to the spectacular decorations. We were even a finalist at the ACE Awards for the event.”
Moving Forward on our Integration
> Executive transitions
This August, we announced two new executive positions following the departure of Chief Marketing Officer, Bob Pascal. Both will join the Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to Chris Verros.
- Kay Towner will lead the combined sales team as Senior Vice President of Sales and New Business Development.
- Diana Evans will head the integrated marketing team as Senior Vice President of Marketing, continuing to oversee Communications and Media Relations.
Congratulations to Kay and Diana on these well-deserved promotions!
Workstream update
Since our June newsletter, all workstreams have focused on completing their short-term objectives through August 31, 2018, where quick win cost savings or process changes could be implemented without delay. This has been successful across all 14 workstreams, although some objectives will require more time to complete.
In FY19, each workstream will focus on closing out the remaining short-term objectives and initiating work on their medium-term objectives to be completed through August 31, 2019. These medium-term objectives will require research, comparisons and further discussions before they can be implemented.
For example, the Shared Service Center (SSC) workstream is currently planning to visit a Centerplate unit to review and better understand all the processes and tools being used on-site. This will inform the teams as they assess the Sodexo and Centerplate tools and systems currently being used, and recommend the best approach going forward for the combined business.
> Let’s Talk Turkey
The Procurement Workstream recently concluded and rolled out a transition plan from Sysco to Jennie-O for turkey product. This has reduced the number of turkey SKUs from 200 to less than 30 resulting in substantial savings for the business without sacrificing on quality.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTEGRATION?
Please reach out to Sana Haque if you have any specific questions relating to integration process.
In the News
> Centerplate became the first concessions provider in sports to use biometric technology for alcohol sales for Mariners fans at Safeco Park. A range of outlets has covered the news, including: Adweek, Yahoo Sports, The Takeout, Find Biometrics, Biometric Update, The Hustle, Planet Biometrics, Finextra, Stadium Business, GeekWire and KUOW 94.9 Seattle.
> The amazing food and beverage transformation by our team at the Las Vegas Convention Center was featured by the Las Vegas Review Journal.