Why investment matters

I’ve been lucky enough to work in various roles all around the world and one thing that has remained true, no matter where I went, is: investment matters. I’m not talking about financial investment ౼ I’m talking about investing time, energy and resources in people.

The start of my Sodexo journey

When I was in my last year of engineering school, specializing in heating and ventilation, a Facilities Management (FM) specialization was added to my program. Around the same time, in 2009, I was accepted into Sodexo’s internship program and the company decided to invest in me by sponsoring my FM courses. The Sodexo internship and my FM specialization coincided perfectly ౼ I found a career path that mixed the technical aspects I had already been studying with the more human side of FM. It was the first step towards the whirlwind career I’ve had ever since. 

I started working at Sodexo’s headquarters in France, managing worldwide FM contracts and strategic accounts. Since an international career had always been my goal, I jumped at the opportunity 6years later to work in a business development role in the Offshore & Marine segment of our Energy & Resources business in Singapore. While I was there, I was able to explore the client side of the business and truly understand what made remote site services such a unique experience.

Building relationships

Something that stood out to me right away is that we are responsible for the quality of life of everyone working and living onsite. We have a hand in just about every aspect of everyday life ౼ from catering to laundry, to where they work out, hang out and sleep. It’s a huge scope of services. This unique environment was both challenging and motivating at the same time. 

For example, the majority of people working in Energy & Resources have spent their careers in this segment. This means that they know the industry inside out and are protective of their long-standing processes and procedures. Succeeding here meant that I had to earn my colleague’s trust. I am a very straightforward person, but I knew that I couldn’t just jump in and start challenging decisions; I needed to invest time and build relationships. Once my colleagues knew me and felt they could count on me, they saw that the feedback I was providing was for the greater good.

The power of people

I believe that people are the greatest asset in Sodexo and our role as managers is to ensure that our teams feel that support and commitment. I have learned that when you’re investing in people, you can’t only look at the short term, you need to focus on the long term too. Sodexo invested in me when I was a student and all these years later, I’m still with the company, learning and giving back. 

When I’m working on pitching a contract (a process that can take up to two years!) I never let myself forget that we provide quality of life services, and we are only able to do that because we employ great people. I have made it a point throughout my career to invest in the people around me and I reap the rewards every day. It also works the other way around. When I succeed at building a relationship or winning a contract or achieving a goal, it builds the trust that people have in me. And you know what? The next time around they are going to trust me with another challenge ౼ that feeds my ambition.