Source: Sodexho USA

Sodexho Names Top Business, Civic Leaders to Newly Formed Business Advisory Board

Monday November 1, 5:49 pm ET

Former U.S. Labor Secretary Alexis Herman to Chair Board That Will Provide Guidance for Company's Strategic Direction

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodexho announced today the formation of a business advisory board to examine key aspects of the company's operations in North America and make recommendations to guide the company's future strategic direction. The board will be chaired by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman.

"The members of this advisory board are highly-respected leaders, academicians and entrepreneurs who bring together a wealth of expertise and vision in the various market segments in which we operate," said Sodexho Chief Executive Officer Michel Landel. "Their extensive experience is drawn from both the private and public sector and they will provide an independent, objective voice in guiding our growth, development and long-term success." The board members will provide advice and counsel to Sodexho's executive management team, including Landel and President and Chief Operating Officer, Richard Macedonia.

"I look forward to helping build on the aggressive strategic imperatives set forth by Sodexho and continue the momentum to meet the company's overall business objectives," Herman said. "I am excited to be joined by my fellow board members who bring a broad range of proven skills and talents and a high level of expertise."

In addition to Ms. Herman, the appointees to the advisory board include: Douglas A. Brook, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.; Judy George, founder and CEO of Domain Home Fashions; Neil R. Grabois, vice president and director for strategic planning and program coordination for the Carnegie Corporation of NY; Irene Hirano, president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles; George Munoz, president of Munoz Investment Banking Group LLC in Arlington, Va.; David R. Pitts, chairman and CEO, Pitts Management Associates Inc. in Baton Rouge, La.; and Joshua I. Smith, chairman and managing partner of The Coaching Group LLC in Washington, D.C.

Sodexho (http://www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States, with $5.8 billion in annual revenue and 110,000+ employees. Sodexho offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho proudly serves as the official food service provider for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Editor's Note: Please see below information regarding advisory board members. Photos available upon request.

Alexis M. Herman, who chairs the Sodexho Advisory Board, served as the nation's 23rd Secretary of Labor and was the first African American to lead the department. Currently, Herman serves as chair and CEO of New Ventures Inc., and chairs The Coca-Cola Company's Human Resources Task Force and the Toyota Diversity Advisory Board. Herman serves on the boards of Cummins Inc., MGM/Mirage Inc., and Entergy. She is also a member of the advisory committee for Public Issues for the Advertising Council and sits on the board of her alma matter, Xavier University, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Douglas A. Brook, Ph.D. is the dean of the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. Before joining NPS, Brook was vice president of government affairs for The LTV Corporation and also served as acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management. Brook served on active duty as a Navy Supply Corps officer and was an active member of the naval reserve for 30 years.

Judy George is founder and CEO of Domain Home Fashions and is a co-author of two books, "The Domain Book of Intuitive Home Design" and "The Intuitive Businesswoman." George's Domain Home Fashions is ranked 201 among Working Woman magazine's "Top 500 Women-Owned Businesses" and 79th among the top 100 furniture stores in the country. George ranked 12th of 100 Top Women Led Businesses in Massachusetts and was also voted Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 by Ernst and Young. George currently sits on the board of Aga Foodservice Group and Daffy's Clothing.

Neil R. Grabois directs strategic planning and program coordination for the prestigious Carnegie Corporation of New York. Grabois has also served as the president of Colgate University and provost and chair of mathematical sciences at Williams College. Grabois currently sits on the boards of Swarthmore College, The Jewish Foundation for the Education of Women and the Michael Wolk Heart Foundation.

Irene Hirano is president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. She has served as a board member of the American Association of Museums and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and was an appointee to President Clinton's Committee on Arts and Humanities. Hirano currently serves on the Smithsonian Institution National Board, the Toyota Diversity Advisory Board, the Accreditation Commission of the American Association of Museums, and chairs the Kresge Foundation Board.

George Munoz is the president of Munoz Investment Banking Group, LLC, and an attorney with the law firm of Tobin, Petkus & Munoz of Chicago and Washington, D.C. Munoz has served as president and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and as chief financial officer & assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Treasury. Munoz currently sits on the board of Marriott International, the MHW board, the advisory board of Frito- Lay, Inc., the Board of Governors -- Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards, and is a National Geographic Society trustee. Munoz is also a past president of the Chicago Board of Education.

David R. Pitts is the chairman and CEO of Pitts Management Associates, Inc. one of the nation's premier strategic advisory firms in the health care industry. Pitts has also served as CEO of the Ochsner Foundation Hospital, in New Orleans, LA., and executive officer for health affairs for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Pitts currently chairs the Church Pension Group in New York City, and the Business Bank of Louisiana. He also serves on the boards of the General Health Systems, The Powell Group, AMEDISYS, Access Pt., Clark Consulting and Health Insights, Inc.

Joshua I. Smith has been chairman and managing partner of The Coaching Group since 1998. Previously he was founder, chairman and CEO of The MAXIMA Corporation, a 20-year-old firm that achieved a national reputation as one of the top African-American owned firms in the United States. Smith currently serves on the boards of Caterpillar, Inc., FedEx Corp., and Allstate Insurance Corp., as well as the Canadian-based Cardiocomm Solutions, Inc. Smith was appointed by former President George H.W. Bush to chair the U.S. Commission on Minority Business Development from 1989 to 1992, and served on the Executive Committee of the 1990 Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations, the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the George H.W. Bush Memorial Library Board of Trustees.

Source: Sodexho USA