Advocating for the Armed Forces all year round  

Earlier this year I was thrilled to be awarded ‘highly commended’ for Advocate of the Year at the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards.  Driving advocacy in this space is a passion of mine both professionally and at a personal level - strengthening the connections between businesses like Sodexo UK and Ireland and the Armed Forces is crucial to helping the military community thrive in civilian careers.

Engaging with the military community

My connection to the Armed Forces runs deep – my grandad was a civil engineer who worked with the military and my uncle served in the RAF. It’s where I’ve built my career, having been immersed in the world of defence for more than 15 years, starting with HR leadership roles on military bases and now in my role as HR Director for Sodexo UK and Ireland's Government and Energy & Resources business.

I spent four years supporting the UK’s five military bases in Cyprus and have gained a huge respect for the Armed Forces as individuals and the military as a whole. To dedicate yourself to serving your country is a phenomenal thing.

Working inside the wire, you see the life first hand, and quickly become part of it; you come to understand the roles that parents, spouses and children all play in creating military communities.

You come to understand the roles that parents, spouses and children all play in creating military communities.

Unlocking the value veterans can bring

Yet the connections between businesses like ours and the military need to be strengthened, and I’m a passionate advocate for that. There needs to be more help for those transitioning out of the military – the culture is unique, and it can be hard for people to adjust to civilian life. We need to push for policies and procedures that provide support and opportunities for veterans, reservists and their families.

Veterans often retire in their 30s having spent 20+ years in service; they have an incredibly strong work ethic. What this cohort can bring to a workforce can’t be understated. They greatly improve diversity and capability – offering different skills and mindsets that can plug gaps for organisations. We’ve seen that in action at Sodexo and are active recruiters of service leavers, reserves and military families. Many ex-personnel are now thriving in new roles around our business – not only in defence contracts but across our wider portfolio.

Yet it’s about more than just helping people secure a job – it’s about building long-lasting civilian careers and driving change. The opportunities are out there; they simply need unlocking. That’s why a large part of my advocacy is focussed on shifting mindsets, because real impact starts with how we think.

Doors are being opened, but we need to up the pace and act faster. The Forces Employment Charity has recently launched Op ASCEND – with Government support – which is designed to support the recruitment, retention and progression of ex-military professionals, encouraging more businesses to consider the benefits and tap into this talent pool.

Strengthening the partnership between the military and industry

The Armed Forces Covenant is a valuable architect for change too. Sodexo was an early signatory of this and part of my role is to ensure we uphold our promises and meet the criteria to retain our Defence Relationship Management (DRM)'s Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award. Recently, my involvement has been brought into even sharper focus when I was appointed as co-chair of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award Association (GAA), the body which supports gold award employers.

As the first non-military person to take up the role, it’s something I’m really proud of; a career milestone. Alongside my co-chair Emma Morgan from Amazon, we act as sounding boards and change-makers for other gold holders, championing forces-friendly credentials. We want to inspire other industries to act and it’s our job to do that by sharing best practice, offering mentoring and influencing military and civilian stakeholders so organisations can fully embrace the potential of their Armed Forces Covenants.

The number of organisations that hold a gold award is steadily growing - we now have over 1000. As co-chair, I’m proud to be their voice. I can be involved in important conversations and have an influence at a strategic level with Government and MoD decision makers, and I never take that responsibility lightly.

Championing the Armed Forces

In the last 12 months, I’ve met some influential stakeholders across government, the UK Ministry of Defence, Office for Veterans' Affairs and Chief of Defence People’s (CDP) office, including the Minister of Veterans and People, Alistair Carns. I was invited to review the CDP’s strategic people plan and it was opportunity that needed grabbing. Through conversations at the top level, we were able to directly impact policy, resulting in an agreement that the GAA would be included as one of the four key strands of the strategy. This means that industry will be consulted as the CDP continues to shape how the collective parties work together.

When I was asked for my input into the Defence Strategic Reserve Campaign plan that was put to Parliament in 2024, again I took another chance to feed into that narrative. And I’m always happy to be part of speaker panels at key events where there’s an opportunity to discuss how industry can engage with defence to shape the future agenda.

Whether it’s behind a lectern or chatting one to one, I’m constantly questioning and probing key stakeholders to uncover what defence needs from employers to support the military community. Only by actively engaging with the military and MoD at a strategic level can we drive positive change, influence policy and procedure changes, unlock new opportunities and ultimately strengthen the future business-military relationship. 

Sodexo recognised for its support for veterans

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