Technomic Names Retail Brand Group President Husein Kitabwalla To Advisory Board

GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Husein Kitabwalla, president of the Retail Brand Group, LLC, Sodexo's award-winning retail restaurant development team, is joining Technomic's Advisory Board.  The board, comprised of representatives from all segments of the restaurant industry works to identify and explore the strategic information needs of senior foodservice executives. Kitabwalla leads the operations, sales and creative teams responsible for award winning concepts such as Pandini's and Jazzman's Cafe.

Technomic, considered the authority on restaurant performance, trends and forecasts, provides rankings, analysis and profiles of the leading restaurant segments to illustrate emerging trends and players. The group's advisory board meets to discuss emerging information needs and how to enhance the quality of information resources available to the industry.

"We are pleased that Mr. Kitabwalla has accepted this position and welcome his unique and informed perspectives," says Technomic Executive Vice President, Darren Tristano. "His intimate understanding of the retail foodservice experience and forward-thinking analysis will be an important asset, as we expand and enhance our offerings to the industry."

Kitabwalla, who joined Sodexo in 1999, is considered an industry expert on retail trends and operations and on creating an over-the-top customer experience. Prior to being named Retail Brand Group, LLC president and senior vice president of Sodexo in 2007, he succeeded in cultivating the group's retail vision and establishing strong positioning within the food service industry as the vice president of brand development and operations -- increasing the number of units more than 250 percent since 2002. The Retail Brand Group offers Sodexo clients access to a comprehensive portfolio of nine fast-casual restaurant concepts in all of the most popular restaurant categories.

In addition to this new post, Kitabwalla serves on the board of the Fast Casual Executive Alliance where he chairs the education committee. He also represents Sodexo on The Conference Board's Council on Brand Management, as well as serves on the advisory board for Ashland University's Restaurant Hospitality program.  Kitabwalla is a national finalist in 2009 for the National Restaurant Association's American Dream Award.

Sodexo, Inc.

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), a member of Sodexo Group, is a leading provider of Comprehensive Service Solutions serving more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care, retirement, schools, higher education, government and remote sites. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., Sodexo, Inc. operates in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. The Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org) is an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $12.7 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.