Leadership series: Rachel Jones

Through the CORE Leadership Series, we share the stories, insights, and journeys of inspiring industry leaders.

In this interview, we are speaking to Rachel Jones, Director of Talent & Development at Sodexo.

The interview begins with an overview of her role and the company she represents, providing insight into her job and the scale of Sodexo as one of the world’s largest employers. 

The discussion explores the remarkable range and diversity of the company’s operations, along with how the market is evolving and the key trends shaping the sector today.

 We also examine what makes Sodexo distinctive, including how the organisation balances commercial performance with its core values. 

The conversation moves on to leadership, exploring her personal leadership style, the people who have inspired her most, and the importance of diversity and inclusion within Sodexo, including the initiatives the company is driving in this space. 

Finally, she reflects on pivotal moments in her career that helped shape her path to her current position, as well as the lessons learned from being a parent and how this benefits her current role.

Sodexo:

Sodexo are a major multinational services company founded in 1966 in France. They specialise in food services, facilities management, and quality-of-life solutions for organisations across the world, with a purpose of creating “a better every day for everyone.” 

Today Sodexo are one of the largest employers globally, with hundreds of thousands of employees operating in over 55–65 countries and serving more than 100 million consumers every day. The company works with a wide range of clients in sectors such as corporate workplaces, healthcare and senior living, education, defence, energy and resources, justice and prisons, and sports and leisure, delivering integrated services that include catering, hospitality, workplace management, cleaning, reception and concierge, maintenance, and more.

Sodexo’s model combines on-site services with facilities management and benefits and rewards programmes, all designed to improve everyday experiences for employees, students, patients and communities. They strive to balance service excellence with sustainability and social impact, reflecting their long-standing emphasis on values such as service spirit, team spirit and the spirit of progress.

In regions such as the UK and Ireland alone, Sodexo employ around 30,000 people and operates across sectors including business, education, healthcare, sports and leisure, defence and justice, delivering services that enhance safety, wellbeing and efficiency