A tribute to our founder, Pierre Bellon
The story of Pierre Bellon is a truly exceptional one. Pierre was a passionate entrepreneur who was determined to build a “fairer and more humane society”. We would like to pay a tribute to our founder by retracing his steps and showing how his extraordinary path made us who we are today.
“Thanks to a rate of success that slightly outpaced our setbacks, Sodexo grew by leaps and bounds”
A pioneer who inspired our passion for business
From a small Marseille start-up to a global group
Born in 1930 and a graduate of HEC business school, Pierre Bellon began his career in his father’s maritime supply company in his hometown, Marseille. However, anticipating the impact of air transport on shipping supply companies, he decided to
change the family business. In 1962, he embarked on a new venture, creating ‘Repas Service’, a small business delivering meals to companies in the Marseille area.
He encountered many obstacles throughout his journey to create and grow Sodexo from a small start-up to the world’s #1 France-based private employer with 430,000 employees across 45 countries. But his determination and his entrepreneurial spirit helped him overcome them one at a time, ultimately leading him to success.
Landing his first contract
The way he managed to win Sodexo’s first contract was no exception. In 1964, he landed a contract offering a self-service restaurant for 2,000 customers at the CEA (Atomic Energy Commission), even though the call for tenders was closed. The competition was fierce and Sodexo was still a budding business, but Pierre Bellon was able to convince the decision makers.
Loading component...
“Constant progress is how we can stay ahead of our competition. It’s how we can show our clients and guests that we are ever-evolving to meet their expectations."
A visionary who taught us to listen and follow our intuition
Focusing on the field: school catering
Pierre Bellon aspired “to create a moment of conviviality and quality of life over lunch”. As Sodexo grew, he relied on empathy and listening to understand client expectations and consumer needs.
For example, before entering the Education market, he spent entire afternoons in a suburban Parisian school. He thus managed to understand the stakes of school catering for toddlers, such as nutritional and environmental challenges.
Loading component...
Loading component...
An ambitious builder who framed our growth
Global success
Just 8 years after its international debut, Sodexo was operating in 35 countries, generating 55% of its revenues and employing 8,000 people outside France, more than half of the company’s total workforce of 15,000 employees.
Between 1990 and 1994, 25 new countries were opened. Sodexo became a partner in the Tour de France as well as the Olympic Games and developed partnerships with top chefs. Then between 1994 and 1997 Sodexo acquired Gardner Merchant in the United Kingdom, partnered with Partena in Sweden as well as Marriott Management Services.
