CEO Newsletter

CEO Newsletter
Steven Pangburn

Steven Pangburn -

Dear team,

First, I hope for the good health and safety for everyone who may have been affected by Hurricane Dorian, especially those along the east coast of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and southern Virginia this week. Please stay safe and let us know how you are weathering the storm.

Employees should follow all evacuation and emergency alerts in their area and, for those who may need to connect with resources, please see below:

  • Make sure your employees have the Sodexo Employee Disaster Hotline, 888-763-3946, to call if their area is evacuated to tell us where they are and how they can be contacted
  • LifeWorks resources for employees and their families
  • Learn about or contribute to the Sodexo’s Employee Disaster Relief Fund
  • More resources are available on Sodexo_Net

Secondly, happy new year! As we kick off September and the new (fiscal) year, I want to thank everyone for all the hard work during FY19.

For FY20, our focus is on a return to growth through a targeted and revamped new business development approach, investing in our culinary strength as a key differentiator with our competition, testing and deploying WasteWatch by Leanpath and improving profitability by eradicating all loss-making accounts.

On September 17, we will have the opportunity to join the Global Sports & Leisure teams worldwide for a call on the status of the business and the outlook for the year ahead. Please save the date and look for the invitation in your mailbox.

Please also join me in celebrating two long-serving colleagues, Mike Dubey and Richard Ginzel – both of whom will be moving on to new things this fall.

  • On September 1, Mike Dubey officially retired from the company, trading in Derby crowds in Louisville for sunny Arizona. Brian Gaskill will assume the role of District Manager and will oversee our accounts in Louisville, reporting directly to Vice President John Stockholm.
  • Richard Ginzel, who has helped us in recent years on new business mobilizations and development, decided to step down from his operations role in Las Vegas and will continue to work on special projects on a consulting basis. Vice President Steven Potts has relocated to Las Vegas to assume Richard’s account duties, reporting directly to Senior Vice President Laurence Rua.

I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to Kim Pobutkiewicz, who joined the corporate finance team in Stamford in the newly-created role of Senior Business Analyst, reporting to Bill Donovan.

It was a really busy month of August, full of moments that made me proud to be a part of this extraordinary Sports & Leisure Team:

  • Last week, we celebrated the groundbreaking for the future Bayside Performance Park in San Diego. With the first shows scheduled for next summer, the concert venue at Embarcadero Marina Park South on the beautiful San Diego Waterfront will feature a permanent outdoor stage, an expanded concessions area and new bathrooms, amongst other upgrades.
  • Chef Jason Congleton at the Virginia Aquarium and Chef Molly DeMers at the Seattle Aquarium both garnered Smart Catch Leader certifications from the James Beard Foundation. This educational, sustainable seafood program was created by chefs for chefs with the purpose of increasing the sustainability of the seafood supply chain. Great job chefs!
  • At the Vancouver Convention Centre, Centerplate Executive Chef Mark Massicotte became qualified as a Certified Sommelier. There are approximately 850 Certified Chefs in Canada since 1980 and 9000 Certified Sommeliers in North America and Europe, and he is only the SECOND Canadian to do both. Congratulations Mark on this outstanding achievement!
  • Unique Venues has just named MSI Chicago the #1 Venue for Corporate Events for 2019

Of course, we have great stories coming from all over, from menu enhancements to sustainability achievements, thank you for delivering on our brand promises and getting our stories out to the public. To note, of late:

With the Super Bowl approaching and several high-profile bids and renewals in play, this year is shaping up to be a great one for us. Please remember to focus on growth, and stay close to your clients and guests. We can only accomplish the great things ahead by working together to drive performance and define a new standard of excellence.

All the best,

Steve Pangburn

Interim CEO

 

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