Working Mother Magazine Names Sodexo to 2011 Best Companies for Multicultural Women for Third Consecutive Year

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year Sodexo, Inc. has been named to the Working Mother 2011 Best Companies for Multicultural Women. This recognition reflects the company's continued commitment to diversity and inclusion that is making it the leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions and a preferred employer for multicultural women.

"With the hiring of multicultural women outpacing losses for the fourth year in a row, the Best Companies for Multicultural Women are proactively cultivating a workforce that takes advantage of our country's diverse cultural make-up," said Carol Evans, President, Working Mother Media. "By implementing strategic programs and practices to support talented multicultural women on their path to success, this year's Best Companies for Multicultural Women are employing a full-court press to ensure the success of their businesses."

"Attracting and retaining a talented and diverse workforce, which includes successfully bringing multicultural women into professional and leadership positions, gives us the ability to compete globally and to innovate to meet the challenges of any economic condition or trend," said Dr. Rohini Anand, senior vice president and global chief diversity officer. "Diversity is crucial to our success as a company and we are pleased to be recognized by Working Mother for our steadfast commitment to inclusion."

Working Mother will honor each of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women at the ninth annual Multicultural Women's National Conference in New York City on July 19-20. This two-day national conference, titled "Engage. Influence. Lead." will build on Working Mother Media's history of hosting and facilitating a national conversation about where race and gender meet in the workplace.

Best Companies for Multicultural Women Methodology: To be considered for Best Companies for Multicultural Women, each company applied and supplied Working Mother with 2010 data about the hiring, pay and promotion of multicultural employees. The application focused on company culture; representation of multicultural women; recruitment; and retention and advancement programs. An independent survey research firm tabulated the scores.

About Working Mother Media

Working Mother magazine reaches 2.2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers; WorkingMother.com (www.workingmother.com) gives working mothers @home and @work advice, solutions, and ideas. This year marks the 26th anniversary of Working Mother's signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, and the ninth year of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women. Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corporation (www.bonnier.com), includes the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE, www.nafe.com), Diversity Best Practices (www.diversitybestpractices.com), and the Working Mother Research Institute. Working Mother Media's mission is to serve as a champion of culture change.

About Sodexo

Sodexo in North America

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions

Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 380,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of On-site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.

Key Figures (as of August 31, 2010)

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.